Release My Heart
by Carrot Top
Summary: When she was a girl, the Völva told her she would do many things. Become a shieldmaiden, fight many battles, fall in love, marry, have children. She would find happiness. Yet the Völva also warned that none of this would come without a price, without suffering first. But not even the warning words of a seeress could have prepared Signe for what awaited her in her future. TorsteinOC
1. Prologue

**I say this a lot, but its really true this time – I shouldn't be starting another story! **

**I'm pretty sure I'm biting off more than I can chew by doing this, but this story has been nagging at me for a few months now, especially so in the past week, and I just couldn't resist it any longer. So ****I thought I'd at least put this out into the world and see what sort of response it got. If I feel like enough people are interested, I will definitely continue it. This originally started out as a Bjorn/OC story in my head, but, over time, slowly morphed into a Torstein/OC story, with a bit of Torstein/OC/Bjorn as a side-dish. I still don't really know how that happened, but I've always liked Torstein's character...so maybe this happened because I've been wishing they'd develop him more? Who knows! I'm just gonna roll with it! Certainly I'm not the only Torstein lover out there, right?**

**Oh, and about the accent…I thought about trying to write it in, but worried it'd get too confusing to read. But I figure that if you watch the show, then you'll probably hear the accent in your head anyway. I'll try to throw in a bit of it, though, just for giggles. Try not to judge me too hard for my lame attempts!**

**Enjoy! And if you like what you read and want me to continue, don't be shy! It's in your hands now!**

**P.S. The pronunciation for our leading lady's name is 'Sing-neh' (almost a 'nay' sound at the end, but not quite). **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Vikings.**

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_Prologue_

_The seeress lived in a small hut-like home near the center of Hedeby, close to the market square so that any who wished to speak with her would have no trouble finding her. The hut was small, just big enough for one person to live comfortably, but gave off a distinctly eerie and intimidating aura in spite of its size. It was rather expected – rather fitting – given it was the mysterious, all-knowing Völva who lived inside. _

_An auburn-haired girl of barely thirteen lingered in front of the hut now, her bright blue eyes shooting to the closed door of the home every few seconds or so. She was not contemplating going inside, no, for she was much too nervous and much too frightened of the seeress to dare step one foot inside the strange woman's home. She was instead waiting for her older brother, Hallsteinn, who had disappeared inside some time ago._

_With a sigh, Signe crossed her arms over her chest and kicked at the dirt while villagers around her went about daily life, wishing Hallsteinn would hurry up. She could not fault him for wanting to know what lie in his future, but could he have not done this when they __**didn't**__ have business to tend to? If their father learned that they had been paying visits to the seeress instead of purchasing supplies from the market as they had been instructed, they would most certainly find themselves in trouble for it. At the moment he was meeting with Earl Sigvard, but when he was finished, he would expect to find her and Hallsteinn waiting for him. If they did not hurry, their father would be finished with his meeting before they returned._

_As if he had heard her silent pleading, the door to the Völva's hut opened and Hallsteinn stepped out, lowering his head so that he would not hit it on the frame. He was only three years older than herself, but he looked much older with his newly grown facial hair and muscular, ever-growing frame – it was the fierce, overzealous burn of youth in his eyes that truly gave his age away. _

_"__Finally," Signe said with a relieved sigh as Hallsteinn closed the door behind him, already taking two steps away from the hut. In the brief moment that the door had been open, she was certain she had felt the seeress' eyes on her. "Did you hear all that you vanted to?" She asked, a bit curious to know what had been said in spite of herself. _

_Hallsteinn immediately smirked and puffed his chest out "Oh, yes," he confirmed with a nod, though he did not continue on to tell her anything that the seeress had told him. Not that he really __**needed **__to, anyway._

_It was no secret that Hallsteinn had great aspirations for himself. He wanted glory, he wanted to be a warrior. He wanted to win battles and kill enemies – and now that Ragnar Lothbrok of Kattegat had paved the way to the west, he wanted to bring honor to his name and to their family by exploring the foreign lands on the other side of the sea. Signe did not doubt that he would get exactly what he wanted, too. He was the most driven, determined person she had ever met – he would go on to do great things, that much she was certain of. _

_Signe understood his aspirations because she wanted many of the same things. As Signe continued to grow older, her curiosity about the outside world grew as well. She too wanted to know what lay beyond the borders of their home, had felt that same spark of interest when they heard about the Northmen from Kattegat travelling west. And after being raised by her warrior father and shieldmaiden mother, it was no surprise that Signe wished to be a shieldmaiden as well. It was, after all, in her blood. __Luckily for her (or perhaps **un**luckily, she hadn't decided yet)_,_ she had four older brothers who were all too happy to spar with her and teach her how to fight like a 'true shieldmaiden'. They never went easy on her either, claiming it was to help her learn faster. _

_Signe thought they were lying, of course. She was fairly certain they were taking advantage of the fact that they could rough her up without getting yelled at for it and were extra tough on her for their own amusement._

_"__Did you vant to speak with her, sister?" Hallsteinn suddenly asked, gesturing to the hut with raised brows._

_Signe's eyes widened and flew to the closed door. Her knee-jerk reaction was to say no and run as far away as she could. But, in a way, there __**was **__a small part of her that was curious to know what she would be told if she did sit down with the seeress. Then again, did people her age even talk to the Völva? Would the seeress wish to speak with someone as young as she? And even if she did, what if Signe was told something bad? What if she discovered that her future was grim and full of pain? _

_Signe started to tell Hallsteinn that she was not ready to see the seeress and beg him to come away from the hut, but before she could get the words out, the door suddenly flew open. Both Signe and Hallsteinn froze as the Völva appeared in the doorway, draped in black and bringing with her the scent of incense and spices and a tiny hint of something foul, perhaps an animal that had been killed for food or as a sacrifice to the Gods. She had long, dark hair that nearly brushed her knees, dark, unnervingly perceptive eyes, and skin so fair she might have blended in with the winter snow had it not been for the black on her – next to the dark make-up around her eyes and on her lips, and the dark tattoos adorning nearly every inch of her, her skin looked positively translucent._

_The hairs on the back of Signe's neck stood on end as she locked eyes with the seeress, who was now ignoring Hallsteinn and staring directly at her. _

_"__Come, girl," the seeress commanded, extending a long, skinny arm and beckoning Signe into the hut with a crook of her boney finger. _

_Signe gaped at the woman before her eyes flew to Hallsteinn in uncertainty. Should she do as she was being told? Should she go inside? Hallsteinn seemed just as surprised by the woman's command as she, but he recovered enough to nod in encouragement, silently telling her to do what the Völva had said. With a deep intake of breath, Signe located her courage and finally stepped forward, briefly meeting the seeress' gaze when she passed by. _

_Signe paused just inside to peer around the Völva's hut, every muscle in her body tense with apprehension. It was dark and smoky inside, with several strange looking trinkets hanging from the ceiling. On a table to the left sat several vials and jars, some filled with plants and herbs, others filled with things she'd rather not try to identify. On a table to the right lay a pelt that looked as though it had only just been taken from a dead wolf – Signe determined that this was the source of the smell of death that lingered in the air. _

_She quickly turned her eyes away from the wolf pelt when the seeress shut the door, enclosing them in the privacy of the small hut so that they were protected from the prying eyes and ears of the outside world. Singe froze and felt her heart jump when the woman brushed past her, coming so close that she could feel the woman's hair and clothes gliding against the skin of her hand. But the seeress either didn't notice or simply chose not to acknowledge Signe's obvious discomfort. She merely eased into one of the chairs with a surprising amount of grace, her eyes trained on Signe again now that they were facing one another. _

_"__Sit," the Völva instructed. _

_Signe slowly sank into the chair opposite of the dark-haired woman, nervous but trying hard to put on a brave face. Though the seeress seemed relaxed enough, Signe sat stiffly in her chair, her back board straight and her hands clasped together tightly in her lap. The fire burning in the hearth cracked and nearly made her jump – she was very proud of herself when she managed not to. _

_For a long few minutes there was nothing but silence. Finally, the seeress offered a long, wry smile and raised her chin some. "Do you wish to ask me something?" She prompted slowly, her voice steady and calm. _

_Signe pressed her lips together and gulped. She knew that visiting the seeress was common – her father, her mother, and nearly all of her brothers had gone to see her at one point or another – but she still didn't really know how this conversation was supposed to proceed. What was she supposed to ask about? Could she ask about __**anything**__? And did it make a difference that she had not come to the Völva by choice, but rather because she had been told to? _

_Signe finally decided to ask the first question that came to mind. "Why did you vant to speak with me?"_

_Another wry smile. "Because __**you **__vanted to speak with __**me**__," she answered mysteriously, making Signe blink in confusion. "The Gods told me you did," she added to explain her cryptic response, her expression turning a bit more serious now. "They have interesting things to say about you, girl." The Völva drew out the word 'interesting', so much so that it almost sounded like she sang the word._

_Quite suddenly, Signe forgot to feel nervous or apprehensive in front of the strange woman. She was filled with curiosity, a sudden burning desire to know what the Gods had said and what they had in store for her. "What do they say?" She asked eagerly, leaning forward a bit in her growing interest. _

_"__Many things," the Völva answered vaguely, urging Signe with her eyes to ask the right questions._

_Signe, trying hard not to feel impatient with the seeress for being so enigmatic, gnawed on her lip for a moment. "Do they speak of my destiny?" She finally asked, her tone taking on more confidence. "Will I be like my mother, Gunnhild? Will I be a shieldmaiden?"_

_The seeress smiled knowingly now. "Oh yes," she answered. "You will fight in many battles, some of which will be fought alongside your brothers," she then revealed. "And like your mother before you, many will die by your blade – both men and women, enemies and…not." The Völva paused for a moment. "All of this I have foreseen." _

_Signe's heart thumped wildly in her chest now, but this time it was with rapidly growing excitement. Though hearing that she would kill people who were not her enemies sat strangely with her – did this mean she would kill friends? Innocents? Who? – to learn that she would be a fighter someday and that she would join her brothers in battle was still thrilling. She wondered if she told her father whether he would be proud or not to know that she would follow her mother's footsteps – or if her __**mother **__in Valhalla was proud to know what she would grow to be. _

_"__But I see more than just war and bloodshed in your future, Signe," the seeress continued, ripping Signe from her thoughts. It probably shouldn't have been a surprise to learn that the seeress knew her name without Signe telling her, but it still did. "You will know love. You will marry a man as great a warrior as he is a lover. You will have sons and daughters who will grow to be fearsome warriors…" The seeress paused, but Signe didn't dare utter even a single syllable. She knew by the look on the Völva's face that she had more to say. "But it will not come without a price," the woman finally continued, her words immediately making an ominous feeling settle over the hut. _

_Signe thought that over for a moment, then looked to the seeress with furrowed brows. "Do you mean I must lose something to get all these things?" She asked, gesturing with her hand as though indicting to the things the seeress had just listed off. _

_"__Perhaps," the seeress offered, neither confirming nor denying whether Signe had deciphered her words correctly. "I see many difficult lessons in your future, both in the ways of life and in the ways of love. Yes, you will know happiness…but you will know sadness and suffering and loss first." Signe must have had a despaired look on her face, because the seeress continued. "Do not fear, girl. I see a strength in you. Young though you may be in years, in mind and spirit you are not. The challenges you will face will be hard and they will test you, but they will not destroy you." _

_Signe leaned back in her chair, overwhelmed by all that she was hearing. To some extent, this telling of her future seemed promising – she would marry and have children and become a shieldmaiden, things she had always wanted. But to know that she would have to feel pain and suffering before she could find her happiness left her with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She had known pain and suffering already – her mother had died from a plague outbreak three years ago and it had almost destroyed her young, fragile soul. She could not imagine facing such a painful thing again. She did not __**want **__to face such a thing again._

_Signe started to ask the Völva more questions, wanting more insight as to what she would be facing and curious to know if she would ever sail west, but the seeress quickly held up a hand to silence her. "That is all the Gods wish me to tell you today, young Signe." _

_Signe pressed her lips together, trying not to feel irritated or disgruntled. It felt like such a tease for the seeress to tell her so much, yet also tell her so little. There were still so many questions left unanswered, so many things left unsaid. Would the seeress truly leave her to fret and ponder over such maddeningly little information? Was this something she did to everyone?_

_"__I have but one more question to ask," Signe said slowly, carefully, hoping she would not offend or overstep her boundaries. The woman across from her was silent for a long few moments, before she finally nodded once in consent. "When vill all of this happen?" _

_There was another long pause before the seeress slowly leaned forward and extended her hand to Signe, palm facing upward. "When the son returns to the father," she said slowly, almost as though she were making a prophecy, "that is when your journey shall begin."_

_It was clear from the woman's tone that their conversation was officially over. Signe, beyond confused now and thinking it probably would have been better to not ask, looked to the woman's palm with uncertainty. She expected something from her, that much was obvious, but Signe wasn't sure what. She wracked her brain for a moment, trying to recall anything her family members had said about their meeting with the Völva, then remembered the time she'd overheard her oldest brother, Valborg, telling Hallsteinn how he had to lick the woman's palm in departure. Some kind of…payment, or something of that sort. _

_Trying not to show any disgust, Signe tentatively leaned forward and ran the tip of her tongue along the woman's hand from fingertip to heel, mindful of the fact that the seeress watched her every move. She tried not to think where this woman's hand had been or what it had done, and diligently ignored any tastes that sprung up on her tongue. When she was done, the woman closed her hand into a fist as though trying to capture Signe's saliva and smiled in a disturbing way. In response, Signe quickly got to her feet and rushed back out the hut as though the place were on fire. _

_Hallsteinn had been leaning against the side of the hut, but straightened up when she reemerged. He took one look at her, glanced at the door, then raised his brows at her. "Did you hear all that you vanted to?" He asked, echoing her words from before. _

_Signe worried her bottom lip and wrung her hands together. "I am…not sure," she finally admitted. _

_Hallsteinn just smiled, placed a hand on her shoulder, then pulled her into his side in a comforting gesture. "Do not worry yourself, sister," he said reassuringly, squeezing her shoulder, "It is always scariest the first time." _

_Signe offered a half-hearted smile in response, grateful her brother was trying to make her feel better but too confused from her conversation with the Völva to take much comfort in his words. _

_"__Come," Hallsteinn said, patting her shoulder, "let us go meet with father." _

_And after Signe nodded in agreement, too preoccupied with her own thoughts to respond, he led her away from the Völva's house. _

OOO

For days, weeks, _months_ after that meeting with the seeress, Signe pondered over the woman's answer to her last question. _When the son returns to the father, that is when your journey shall begin_. The words were so vague that she truly could have been referring to anyone. Signe nearly drove herself to madness trying to decipher the cryptic message, too. Had she been speaking of the Gods and their sons? Had she been speaking about Signe's own brothers? Who was this son that would return to his father? And how would it affect _Signe's _life?

For so long these questions went unanswered that, eventually, Signe all but gave up trying to figure out what the woman had been trying to tell her. Though she never forgot it completely, she pushed the conversation to the back of her mind and went about life as normal, deciding that all would reveal itself in due time. As she grew older she took her mother's place as the woman of the house, seeing to the cooking, the cleaning, and tending to the men. She learned how to fight and honed her skills with her brothers any chance she got, helped in the fields when they needed extra hands, became stronger and smarter and wiser. And, as always, she paid homage to the Gods for the good life and good fortune they had bestowed upon her and her family, for they rarely hurt for food and led relatively happy, peaceful lives.

But she never returned to the Völva's hut, nor did she go anywhere near the seeress herself if she could avoid it, though she often felt the woman's eyes on her whenever they wound up in the same place at the same time.

Then, one day, nearly three years after that strange conversation with the mysterious woman who spoke to the Gods, it happened. _H__e _arrived in Hedeby. 'He' being Bjorn Ragnarsson, the first son of the great Ragnar Lothbrok, Earl of Kattegat and explorer of the west. And though it would be a few more years yet before she realized it, the moment he walked into Signe's life and became her friend was the day that all of the seeress' predictions started to come true, and all of her questions started to find answers…

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**Thoughts?**


	2. Chapter One

**I'm rather pleased with the response this has gotten so far, especially since this isn't a super popular category. I'm very glad people are interested, because I've got ****_loads _****of ideas for this story!**

**It's pretty clear that the events of season two didn't happen in the span of just a few months, so I've been trying to figure out this timeline for the past few days. This is what I've come up with – the Vikings raided in the summertime, so it must have been early summer when Ragnar first went to Wessex and perhaps mid-to-late summer whenever he returned to retake Kattegat from Jarl Borg. Judging by how pregnant Aslaug and Jarl Borg's wife are by the time Blood Eagle happens and how quickly Aslaug has the baby after Jarl Borg's death (Lagertha is still in town for the birth and talks about needing to go back home and prepare her ships, which leads me to believe only a few weeks go by between the execution and the birth), I would say another eight or so months passes after the battle for Kattegat, which takes us to late-winter, early-spring. Another month-ish goes by, then its back to Wessex! **

**This might not be ****_entirely _****accurate, but it's the best I could come up with – plus it's fiction, which means I can tweak things around a bit! Can we all get on board with this timeline?**

**Anywho, enough from me. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Vikings!**

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_Chapter One_

The air filled with the sound of metal clanging against metal as two figures danced around one another in the middle of a field. The figure on the left, a tall young man with blonde hair and olive-toned skin, lunged forward with his battle axe, aiming it at the head of his opponent. The opponent in question, a young woman with auburn curls that fell past the middle of her back, blocked the blow with her shield and then returned the charge, letting out a cry as she swung her own battle-axe at the man's neck.

The young man deftly ducked the swing before he could get his head chopped off, then straightened up with a wide smirk. His brown eyes twinkled with mirth as he circled around her, but he made no move to attack just yet.

"You fight like a _girl_, Signe," he taunted with a small snicker.

Signe narrowed her eyes a bit in response, but did not dare drop her guard. She kept her shield up and her axe poised to strike, ready to spring back into action at any given moment. "_You _helped teach me how to fight, Garik, remember?" She shot back at her brother, her expression perfectly calm. "If I fight like a girl, then what does that say about _you_?"

The rebuttal made Garik's smirk immediately turn into a frown. Then, with a roar, he lunged at her.

Signe had been expecting him to rush her and braced herself, once again blocking the strike of his axe with her shield. She then threw her weight into her opponent and shoved him away with her shield, forcing him to back up a few steps, before rearing her axe back to counterattack. Garik, however, surprised her by dropping low and kicking her legs out from underneath her, sending her sprawling ungracefully onto her back.

The air rushed out of Signe's lungs with a giant _whoosh_, and for a moment she lay there struggling to fill her lungs again. But when Garik suddenly appeared over her and raised his shield, his intent all too obvious, she quickly rolled to the right. Barely a moment later, Garik's shield slammed into the earth where Signe's head had just been.

Signe finally caught her breath again as she climbed to her feet. Garik watched her with a smirk on his mouth again, giving her a moment. "Less talking, more fighting," he said cockily.

Signe quirked a brow and opened her mouth to say something in return, but another voice beat her to the punch.

"Get on vith it already!" It was Gunnar, Garik's twin. He was sitting on the ground about ten feet away and had been watching them spar for the past half hour. "You are both _boring_ me!" He added, feigning a dramatic yawn behind his hand.

Signe shot Gunnar a brief look in response, while Garik just looked to his twin with an unaffected smirk. The two were identical in every single way – both in looks and in personality – with the one exception being their haircuts. Garik wore his hair to his shoulders and generally braided the top half of it back so that it would not fall in his face. Gunnar, on the other hand, had very short hair. It was cropped close to the head on the top and around his face, while the back was shaved bald. It was a popular cut for warriors, as the lack of hair on the back of their head made it harder to get grabbed by enemies in battle.

"Forgive me, brother," Garik called to Gunnar without taking his eyes of Signe. "Let me see if I can make things more _interesting_!"

And without warning, Garik was charging her again.

For the next few minutes there was a frenzy of action. Shield slammed against shield, axe against axe, shield against body, axe against shield. Back and forth Signe and Garik went, exchanging hits without pause, each trying to get the upper hand over the other. Signe was drenched in sweat by now and felt as though her arms might fall off at any moment, but she gritted her teeth and pushed past the pain, blocking away Garik's fatal attacks whilst delivering just as many of her own.

Suddenly, their axes locked together. For a moment they stood still, staring each other squarely in the eye and panting heavily for air, until Garik yanked with all his might. Signe's axe pulled from her grip and went flying into the distance, leaving her with nothing but a shield. She barely got her shield up in time to stop her brother's axe from splitting her face in two when he swung again, then found herself having to hold on for dear life as he attacked again and again, slowly forcing her backwards under the powerful onslaught. Throughout all of this, Gunnar cheered and chanted, egging the two on.

With her arm starting to burn with the strain of warding off the relentless assault on her shield, Signe knew she had to get back on the offensive and get Garik off of her, otherwise she feared he might break her shield. So when he reared his axe back again and hesitated for just a moment, leaving his chest open and vulnerable for a split second in time, she slammed her shield forward, hitting him hard and sending him of balance. With a quick spin for extra momentum, she rammed into him again while he was still stumbling around, this time knocking him to the ground.

Garik's shield fell from his grasp as he hit the ground and landed on his back. He grappled for it quickly, but Signe was faster. She danced around his hands and kicked it out of his reach, smiling at him serenely as she did so. "I do not think you vill be needing that anymore," she said matter-of-factly.

She let Garik climb to his feet again, waiting patiently as he recovered and readied himself again, happy to have a moment to catch her breath. After a few moments they faced off again, Garik with only his axe and Signe with only her shield. They circled each other, staring one another down challengingly, each silently daring the other to make the first move. Finally, after a shout from Gunnar, Garik lunged again.

Signe jumped backward as his axe swiped at her midsection, then brought her shield up to block his next downward slice toward her head. Unfortunately, she lingered with her shield raised just a second too long – Garik took the opportunity to knee her hard in the stomach, making her eyes bulge a bit as she doubled over. One well aimed kick by Garik in the next second had her shield flying from her grasp and sailing away, until it landed with a _thunk _on the grass a few feet away.

Signe recovered enough to make a lunge for her shield, but she stopped short when Garik purposefully moved to block her path and circled his axe around in the air tauntingly. He clicked his tongue and shook his head as she straightened up, silently telling her with his amused, triumphant eyes that trying to go any further would be a bad idea.

Now completely defenseless, she could do nothing but stand there and watch Garik with wary eyes. He tossed his axe back and forth between his hands, smirking at her quite evilly as he sized her up. "And now, dear sister," he said slowly, "I shall have to kill you."

With that being said, Garik let out a battle cry that would have impressed Odin himself, raised his axe up with both hands, and went to deliver the final blow. But Signe was not as defenseless as she looked – as her brother made a show of his finishing strike and raised his weapon high into the air for dramatic effect, she dropped to a knee and reached for the dagger that her other brother, Hallsteinn, had demanded she keep in her boot at all times. Just as Garik started to bring his axe down she thrust the dagger up toward his chest, stopping just before she could actually stab him. Garik froze with the axe still above his head, looked down at the blade dangerously close to imbedding itself into his heart, then swung disbelieving eyes to Signe.

Signe had just won the fight, and they both knew it.

"You were saying, dear brother?" She couldn't help but ask with a hint of taunting, immensely proud of herself for having bested Garik. It was not often that she beat her brothers in sparring matches, so when she did, it left her feeling very good about herself.

Garik lowered his axe, scowling a bit and looking rather unhappy with the fact that his little sister had beaten him. As Signe returned her dagger to her boot and stood to her full height again, Garik grumbled something under his breath and shot her a decidedly grumpy look. There was no doubt he would praise her later for a match well fought, but for now, with the emasculating loss to Signe still so fresh, he was most definitely going to sulk about it.

"Seems Hallsteinn has been teaching you a thing or two vhile we are not around," he said, referring to the fact that their second eldest brother firmly believed daggers to be a nonnegotiable necessity to any warrior's repertoire of weapons and never had less than five of them concealed on his person at any given moment. "Dagger in the boot," Garik continued, "I should have known." He then heaved and offered a hand for a cordial handshake. "You win this one."

Signe smiled, shook his head, and started to tell him it had been a match well fought. But before she could get the words out, Garik suddenly kicked a leg out and swiped her feet out from underneath her, sending her falling ungracefully to her back again. Taken aback, Signe swung disbelieving eyes up to her brother. An amused Garik just shrugged and smirked.

"Do _not _get used to beating me," he warned, "it vill _not _happen again."

And with that, he was stepping over her and walking off with whatever pride he had left.

"Do not forget, brother," Gunnar called after the retreating form of his twin, evidently thinking this the appropriate time to remind Garik of the bet that had been made before his and Signe's match, "this means you must clean up after supper for the next week!"

"I know!" Garik barked back, not bothering to turn around. Gunnar just chuckled to himself in response, clearly enjoying seeing his twin so irritated. As much as the two loved each other, they loved _annoying_ each other even more.

Signe just laid there and stared up at the sky for a few moments, watching as the sun briefly broke free of the grey clouds and shined down on the earth below. When a shadow fell over her, she turned her eyes from the sky and squinted at the figure above her. It was the same face she had just been looking at, only this time it belonged to Gunnar. And though he too was smirking in amusement, he at least offered a hand to help her up. She sighed and placed her hand in his, letting him pull her up from the grass.

"Do not worry about him," Gunnar said, brushing the grass and dirt from her back. "Garik has alvays been a sore loser," he proceeded to remind her. Gunnar then ruffled her hair with a proud smile. "You fought well, Signe," he complimented, "You improve more and more with each fight."

Signe smiled widely as she ran a hand over her auburn hair, trying to fix the rumpled mess that the fight and her brother's enthusiastic ruffling had turned it into. "Thank you," she said, before shrugging her shoulder nonchalantly. "I have good instructors," she added, shooting him knowing smile.

Gunnar grinned and nodded, then clapped her on the shoulder. Signe, sore from the fight with Garik, winced at the contact. "Come," he said, nodding his head toward their family's house some thirty yards away. "Let us get something to snack on before supper. Watching you two try to chop each other to bits has made me hungry."

Thinking his statement a bit odd, Signe quirked an eyebrow at her bigger, taller brother, but followed him nonetheless. She paused to scoop up her axe, which was Valborg's old one, and her shield, formerly Hallsteinn's, on the way. "I worry for your sanity sometimes, brother," she told him, half joking but half serious at the same time. "You _do _know that, yes?"

Gunnar just grinned widely in response, his expression and the mischievous gleam in his eyes doing absolutely nothing to quell her uncertainty. "Of course," he said matter-of-factly, making Signe laugh and shake her head as they started trekking back across the field.

When they returned to the house, they found their father, Oleg, chopping wood near the stables.

At one point in time Oleg had been a mighty warrior who fought in many battles for Earl Sigvard, as well as the reigning Earl before him. But about a year after Signe's mother died, he had returned home from a territory battle missing an arm, an eye, and with a nasty gash on his belly that left him knocking on death's door for weeks. Nobody had expected him to survive, but by the mercy of the Gods, he had. Though he had never outright sworn off fighting, he had not participated in a battle since and had chosen to focus primarily on farming and raising his children – Signe did not expect he would ever fight again.

He was still tall and broad, a trait he had passed on to all of her brothers, but some of the muscles he had once boasted had started turning to flab from lack of training, particularly around his midsection. He had long, auburn hair the same color as Signe's and his one remaining eye was dark brown – an eyepatch covered the ravaged area where his other eye had once been. The left sleeve of his shirt – and all of his shirts, for that matter – had been cut short and sewn closed about three inches down from the shoulder, just enough space to conceal the nub that used to be his arm and not have the rest of the sleeve hanging down as a crude reminder that something was missing.

"Garik just stormed through here looking rather annoyed," Oleg said as he picked up a block of wood, raised an axe with his one strong arm, then brought it down with a powerful strike, splitting the wood in half perfectly. It was really rather impressive, given the fact he did this one-handed – it also attested to just how strong he still was, despite having not trained or fought in nearly a decade. "Do I even _vant _to know what happened this time?" Oleg continued dryly, turning a knowing look on them with his one brown eye.

After years of listening to Signe and her brothers bicker and fight and drive each other to madness, she was starting to suspect that their tiffs didn't really even affect him anymore. "Garik and Signe were sparring," Gunnar spoke up, nudging her with his elbow in the process. "Signe won."

Oleg pressed his lips together and made a humming sound, though she thought she saw a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. "That would explain it," he said with a nod. Signe and Gunnar shared a smirk as he turned to grab the next block of wood. "And where are your other brothers? Have you seen them?"

Though neither Valborg, nor Hallsteinn, still lived at home, they had made their homes nearby and came for dinner nearly every night. Recently, however, because his wife Ingelill had become so enormously pregnant – she had a few months to go yet, but she looked like she would pop at any moment – Valborg had taken to staying at home for dinner so that his tired, pregnant wife did not have to strain herself with a trip. They had already had three failed pregnancies since marrying nearly six years ago, so they were not taking any chances this time around.

"Valborg and Hallsteinn went to fetch Bjorn around midday so they could go fish," Signe answered, smiling a bit at the thought of her friend. Then she looked up to the sky to gauge the time. "It will be dark in a few hours. I expect they should be back soon."

"Talking about us, are you?" A new voice suddenly asked, catching the attention of the three.

Signe turned just in time to see three familiar figures coming around the corner of the house. It was Valborg, Hallsteinn, and Bjorn, all looking a smidge sunburned but also quite proud of themselves as they toted their catch for the day. Each was holding a string filled with at least ten fish, a more than decent catch for their dinner. Gunnar whistled in appreciation, then he and Oleg went to admire the fish and praise the men.

Signe hung back for just a moment, smiling to herself as her eyes landed on the only man not in her family.

Bjorn had been her very closest friend for the better part of four years now. They had met soon after he and his mother, Lagertha, moved from Kattegat to Hedeby, and their friendship had been nearly instantaneous. Brought together by their similar upbringings and common history – they had both been raised by warrior parents and had both lost family members to the plague – it wasn't long before they were practically inseparable. Bjorn was around so frequently, in fact, that he had more or less become an honorary member of her family. Her brothers had liked Bjorn ever since he punched a girl in the nose for her – though Bjorn still insisted to this day that he hadn't meant to – and had quickly taken him under their wing, while her father had always treated him like one of his own. Singe was honestly surprised Bjorn hadn't tried to make himself a permanent place in her home yet.

Bjorn's eyes suddenly shifted to her. As his smile grew wider, Signe felt her heart skip a beat.

When she had met Bjorn, he'd been a skinny, moody fifteen year old boy who stood three inches shorter than herself. But now, at nineteen, all the baby fat had disappeared from his face, he had grown tall, and he had filled out with a significant amount of muscle. Bjorn had grown to be very handsome, probably one of the most handsome young men in town, and many women - young _and_ old - in Hedeby had taken notice of him, Signe included. Unlike the other women, however, Signe knew that there was much more to her friends than a pretty face. Bjorn was noble, honest, kind, loyal…he had never mistreated her and he always looked out for her, having taken on the role of protective brother despite the fact that she had four of them already. He was her best friend, someone that she trusted and respected and cared about.

Yet somewhere along the line, her feelings for Bjorn had changed. She wasn't entirely sure when it had happened, but one day she had just looked at Bjorn and been struck so hard by the realization that it felt as though she'd been socked in the gut. Where she had once looked at Bjorn and seen a brother, now she looked at him and saw something much different. Her feelings of friendship had blossomed and grown into something much bigger, something that ran far deeper than just friendship.

Signe cared for Bjorn a great deal. Perhaps even more than she had dared to admit to herself.

Bjorn excused himself from the conversation with her father and brothers and started toward her. Suddenly feeling very self-conscious of her appearance, Signe straightened up and smoothed out her clothes and hair, trying in vain to make herself look a tab bit more presentable, but it was a lost cause. Her woolen shirt and trousers – which had formerly belonged to Hallsteinn before he outgrew them – were filthy after a day of chores and training. She smelled of sweat and dirt and the outside, and her hair, which had been half-braided into an intricate design to keep it out of her face, had come loose during the fight with Garik and undoubtedly looked a disaster. Signe wasn't a particularly vain person, nor did she think Bjorn would really judge her, but she still liked to at least look and smell decent if she could manage it. _Especially _if Bjorn was going to be around.

"Well?" Bjorn asked with raised brows as he approached, holding up the fish for her to see and gesturing to them grandly with his free hand. "What say you to this?" He asked, jutting his chin into the air proudly and obviously awaiting her praise.

Signe smiled, eyeing the numerous fish with impressed eyes. "I say that the Gods most certainly blessed you today," she told him. "Well done," she then praised. "You might even be a better fisherman that Valborg."

Bjorn's eyebrows shot upward before he grinned and turned to send Valborg a haughty look. "Did you hear that?" He said loudly, raising his voice so Valborg would hear him. "Your own sister thinks I am _better _than you at fishing!" He bragged, grinning triumphantly.

Valborg, the oldest of her brothers, raised a brow at her before shrugging a shoulder. Of all her brothers, he was the one she looked most like – they were the only two who had gotten their father's auburn hair and mother's blue eyes, and they were the only ones with fair skin. "I would not get too excited about that, Bjorn," he suggested with raised brows, "Signe was dropped on her head as a babe," he added, this time with a tiny smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "She often gets..._confused._"

Bjorn and her brothers immediately started laughing at her expense. Signe, knowing Valborg was just teasing her but still slightly put off by the comment, placed a hand on her hip and shot him a look, one eyebrow inching higher in warning. Valborg just smiled at her as he received slaps on the back for his funny joke from their brothers, silently telling her with his eyes that he hadn't meant any real offense. Never able to actually feel annoyed with Valborg for very long, she finally just shook her head and smiled, letting him know she was not angry.

"Alright, I must be going now," Valborg announced, taking his string of fish and slinging it over his shoulder. "Time to feed Ingelill and the babe."

The men, Bjorn included, each took a moment to say their goodbye's to Valborg for the night. Once they had dispersed a bit, Valborg came up to Signe and ruffled her hair.

"Training again?" He asked, eyeing her attire and the weaponry that she had set on the ground by her feet. She usually only wore men's clothing when training or doing hard work that necessitated free movement, which dresses did not always allow.

"Yes," she answered with a nod. Then, grinning proudly, she said, "I beat Garik today."

Valborg immediately grinned. "No doubt he is inside sulking about it right now," he commented, eyeing the house for a brief second before turning proud eyes on her again. "Well done, Signe. I wish I had been there to witness it. I _do_ always love watching Garik getting bested."

Signe practically glowed at the approval and laughed at his comment. "Next time," she promised.

"Agreed," Valborg said. "I must go now. My wife will be wondering where I am," he said, gesturing toward the beaten path that would eventually lead to his cottage about a half mile away.

Signe nodded. "Do not let Ingelill strain herself," she instructed. "And tell her that I will come by tomorrow to do housework for her so she does not have to worry herself about it," she added.

Valborg nodded and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, sister, I will." Then he leaned down to press a brotherly kiss to the top of her head, ruffled her hair again, and strode off toward his house with one last goodbye to his family.

Now Signe loved all of her brothers equally and would never outright claim to having a favorite. But, secretly, she had always felt like she and Valborg shared a special bond. He was the most level-headed of all the siblings and she had always been able to go to him for absolutely _anything, _knowing that he would only ever give her his honest, unbiased opinion. Personality wise she liked to think she was a lot like Valborg, which was probably why she felt that they shared a special bond – they just understood each other.

"Well, young Bjorn," Oleg said, pulling Signe from her thoughts, "Am I correct in assuming you shall be joining us for supper tonight?" Bjorn had eaten at their house for the past four nights – at this rate, it would probably be _more _surprising if he decided to go eat at his _own _home.

Bjorn smiled and then shrugged his shoulders. "Only if I would not be an imposition…" He said, trailing off and leaving Oleg plenty of opportunity to turn him away.

Oleg did no such thing. Instead, he smiled and clapped Bjorn on the shoulder. "What sort of host vould I be if I turned away the man who caught us our supper?" He asked, making Bjorn smirk. "You are more than welcome to stay, you know that."

"Thank you, Oleg," Bjorn said sincerely.

Oleg patted him on the back again, then wandered into the house with Gunnar and Hallsteinn to wash up for supper.

"That makes five nights in a row," Signe pointed out once it was just she and Bjorn standing together outside. "Will your mother not be missing you?"

Bjorn just shrugged. "She knows I am with you, so I am sure she vill understand. She knows I am in good hands here," he added with a small smile.

In the next moment, Bjorn's stomach rumbled loudly, making Signe's eyebrows raise a tick. "Hungry?" She asked with a smirk.

"_Famished_," he confirmed. No surprise there – he was a growing a man with an appetite big enough for an entire army. Between him and her brothers, it was a miracle there was ever enough food leftover for Signe to remain sufficiently fed. "I clean, you cook?" He offered, nodding toward the fish.

Signe smiled and nodded. "Deal."

* * *

Supper, as usual, was an enjoyable occasion. Signe put her cooking skills to use and made a feast of fish and fresh vegetables while the men situated themselves around the table and broke into the ale. While she cooked, Signe just smiled happily to herself as she listened to the men discuss different battle techniques, talk enthusiastically about the upcoming summer raids - though she noticed Bjorn didn't seem as excited about the raids as her brothers did - and gossip like old maids over the goings on in Hedeby. Though it might have overwhelmed other women to be surrounded by so much testosterone on such a frequent basis, Signe was so accustomed to it that she couldn't be bothered to mind - not even when the ale started getting to them and they began talking more boisterously. It was actually a bit of a comfort, really. It was..._normal_.

By the time dinner had been served and they had all eaten their fill, the sun had gone down. Oleg retired soon after, weary from a long day of work, while Hallsteinn decided to return to his home for the night before the twins got him too drunk. When Gunnar decided to take it upon himself to make sure that Garik remained true to the bet and started cleaning up after supper, Signe and Bjorn decided to sneak out and enjoy the cool evening weather. As they went to sit in the grass and look up at the stars, they could hear Gunnar mercilessly teasing his twin inside.

"It is a pleasant night," Signe commented, reaching for the horn of ale that Bjorn had brought outside so she could steal a few drinks. "Summer has most certainly arrived. Thank the Gods for that," she added, all too happy to see welcome the pleasant weather after the long, rough winter they had just had.

Bjorn nodded, then took a drink of ale when she passed the horn back. A small crash sounded inside, probably the result of Garik finally losing his patience with his nagging twin, but they were both so used to occurrences such as these that they hardly noticed.

A comfortable silence passed between them for a few minutes. When Signe finally glanced over at Bjorn, he was staring down at the grass and seemed deep in thought. "You seem distracted," she observed, tilting her head curiously. "What is on your mind?"

Bjorn shook himself from his thoughts before meeting her gaze. "Earl Sigvard has started preparing for the raids. Those going will be departing soon," he said with a sigh, reminding her of their dinner conversation. He paused for a moment, then continued. "I spoke to him this morning, told him of my wishes to join the raids this year," he went on to reveal, his expression suddenly turning sour. "The man all but laughed in my face when I asked for permission to go."

Signe immediately frowned at hearing this - evidently this had been weighing on Bjorn's mind all day, but he had waited until they were alone to bring it up.

"Why would he not let you go?" She asked, frowning deeper with confusion. "You are a good fighter and you are of age. There is no reason to restrict you."

Bjorn snorted and sent her a look. "I can give you one _very _good reason," he countered dryly. "My _father."_

Signe heaved and shook her head. "Ragnar Lothbrok has _nothing _to do with this, though," she said matter-of-factly.

"Not in _Sigvard's _eyes," Bjorn countered.

"He has never even _met _the man!" Signe pointed out incredulously. "And you yourself have not even seen or spoken to him in four years. Nor has your mother!"

"That does not matter," Bjorn told her, pausing to take another gulp of ale. "He will alvays hate the fact that my father is a better man than he is, and he vill always take that hatred out on us."

Signe pulled a face and turned her eyes out to the distance as she mulled over Bjorn's words, watching the outlines of the dark trees as they swayed in the cool, evening wind. Earl Sigvard positively baffled her sometimes – he could be so petty, so _ridiculous_, not to mention downright irrational. She had been raised to be respectful of her Earl so she would never say it aloud, but she did not like the man. Especially so because of the way he treated Bjorn.

To put it simply, Bjorn's relationship with his step-father – if you could even call it a relationship – was a very strained one. Though Earl Sigvard would never admit it aloud, Signe knew from things she had heard that the man was incredibly jealous of Ragnar Lothbrok, even more so because of the ties that Bjorn and his mother had to him. He held a mighty grudge because of it and had chosen to take most of that out on Bjorn. Since the day he had married Lady Lagertha, Earl Sigvard seemed to go out of his way to belittle and emasculate Bjorn at every opportunity, as though that would somehow change the fact that Bjorn was the great Earl Ragnar's first-born son and make him seem less important.

Of course, Bjorn had not made things easier by being uncooperative to the point of near rebellion. Nor did it help that he had repeatedly chosen to make himself at home with _her _family rather than in the home of the Earl. Between Earl Sigvard's harsh treatment and Bjorn's stubborn resolve to have nothing to do with his unloving step-father, any hope that the two would set aside their differences and come to an understanding had started to feel like an impossible feat.

"Let us talk about something else," Signe finally suggested after a stretch of silence, hoping a change in subject would brighten Bjorn's spirits. "A few weeks ago you talked of possibly going to the mountains to live on your own for a while," she reminded him. "Have you given this more thought?"

"Yes," Bjorn confirmed with a nod.

"Perhaps if you cannot raid, you vill be able to do that instead," she offered encouragingly.

Apparently her attempt to lighten the mood did not work, because Bjorn scowled again. "I vould need the Earl's permission for that as well," he said darkly. "And if he will not allow me to raid, I doubt he will let me go to the mountains."

Signe sighed, watching as he took another large gulp of ale. "You will never know unless you _ask_," she chided gently.

"What is the point Signe? When has he ever given me _anything _I have asked for?" Bjorn asked with a bit of snap in his tone, looking to her with raised brows. "When has the man ever put my happiness before his? _Never_." He finished the rest of his drink then and started toying with the horn-cup, glaring at it as though it were Earl Sigvard himself.

Signe finally reached over and place a hand on his arm, pinning him with a firm look when he met her gaze again. "Bjorn, I know you do not like Earl Sigvard, but you must at least _try _to push aside this resentment you feel. He vill never let you do _anything _so long as you continue to fight him every step of the way." Bjorn heaved in response to her words, but Signe was not deterred. "I only say this because I tire of seeing you so unhappy," she continued, squeezing his arm gently. "If you want to test yourself in the mountains, if you want to raid – if you want to do _anything_ – you must be the bigger man and try to resolve the issues between you two."

Bjorn looked at her for a moment, then turned his eyes away with a sigh as he thought her words over. "Perhaps you are right," he finally admitted, albeit begrudgingly so.

Signe smiled and patted his arm. "Of course I am," she said matter-of-factly. "Am I ever _wrong_?"

For the first time since they'd come outside, Bjorn looked to be in slightly better spirits as he turned a smirk on her. "Believe it or not, you _are _wrong sometimes," he joked, making her gasp in mock-offense. "Though, I admit, it is rare," he added.

That made her jut her chin into the air and quirk a haughty brow. "And you vould do well to remember that," Signe shot back, pulling a chuckle from Bjorn.

Another silence suddenly fell between them as they continued to stare at each other, though this one felt a bit different than the last. Bjorn still had a small smile on his face and was watching her in a way that she couldn't quite decipher – whatever was in his eyes, however, was making her heart beat just a little bit harder. She had caught Bjorn looking at her like this before over the past few months, but she had thus far been hesitant to read into it, afraid to presume too much. Bjorn had never hinted that he felt anything but friendship for her…but sometimes, in moments like these, she had to wonder.

A shout inside broke the spell between them and had them both looking toward the house - through the window, Gunnar and Garik could be seen wrestling a little too closely to the hearth.

When Signe met Bjorn's gaze again, that puzzling expression in his eyes had disappeared. Feeling more than a little disappointed, she sighed and then offered a small smile. "I should make sure Garik and Gunnar are not killing one another," Signe said. "Or at least quiet them before father kills them _both_."

Bjorn nodded his understanding. "It is time for me to go home anyway," he said, getting to his feet. "No doubt my mother and..._step-father _- " Bjorn practically spat the word, " - vill be wondering where I am."

Singe returned his nod, then accepted the hand that he offered to help her up. When he pulled her up to her feet, however, he pulled so hard that she nearly rammed into his chest. Standing only inches apart, they both froze for a moment and stared at one another in silence, the close proximity taking them both by surprise. Finally, when she could stand the tense silence no longer, Signe cleared her throat and gently pulled her hand from Bjorn's grasp.

"Will you try to speak with Earl Sigvard again?" Signe asked, pretending as though nothing odd had just occurred between them.

Bjorn blinked as though coming out of a trance, then sighed and nodded. "Yes, I will," he answered, though he didn't seem very enthusiastic about it.

"Good," Signe said, pleased that she seemed to have gotten through to him - or, at least, to _some_ extent. As a strong gust of wind siwrled around them, Signe glanced took in their dark surroundings before frowning at Bjorn. "Will you be alright to return home at this hour?" She asked with obvious concern. "It is quite dark."

Bjorn smiled and nodded again. "Do not worry about me. I can take care of myself," he reassured her. "I will be fine, I promise."

Signe nodded, took the horn-cup from Bjorn when he offered it to her, then smiled. "Goodnight, Bjorn. I vill see you soon, I am sure."

Again, Bjorn nodded. "You will," he promised. "Goodnight, Signe."

Then, after reaching out a large hand to squeeze her shoulder, he turned to leave. Signe stared at his retreating back as he started down the path that would lead into the village, watching him go with a feeling very similar to that of longing. He paused just before he went around the bend in the road to turn and wave one last time – Signe smiled and returned the wave, only lowering her hand again when Bjorn continued on and she could see him no more. Then, with a sigh, she turned and retreated back into the comfort her own home.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	3. Chapter Two

**Thank you so much to anyone who has added this story to their alert/favorite list (or added myself, for that matter!) and to all of those who take the time to leave feedback! It is greatly appreciated! **

**A kind reader (shout out to The Ghost Who Walks1!) asked about the pronunciation of Signe's name, which I did not even think to mention at the start of the story – brain fart! So just to clear things up, Signe's name is pronounced SING-neh, with almost a 'nay' sound at the end, but not quite. Everyone else's name is pretty straightforward, but I should also point out that Garik's name is pronounced GEY-rick. **

**Anywho, on to the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Vikings. Don't sue, just enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Two_

"Are you sure you should not be sitting down?" Signe asked with concern.

Ingelill, her very pregnant sister-in-law, sighed and looked over with a grateful, albeit_ slightly _exasperated, look on her face. She was about four years older than Signe, had hair that fell to her waist in soft, blonde waves, and piercing blue eyes. She was an incredibly pretty woman. So much so that it often made Signe feel a little self-conscious of her own appearance.

"I appreciate your concern, Signe," Ingelill said patiently, "but if I have to sit for one more moment, I am certain I will die of complete and utter boredom." Signe smiled understandingly at that, which pulled a gentle smile from her sister-in-law. "Besides," she continued, turning her attention back to the loom she was standing in front of. "I hardly think blanket weaving is too stressful on the baby."

"I suppose not," Signe conceded with a nod, deciding to just let the woman do as she pleased. Ingelill knew her own limits and would rest if she felt she needed to...still, Signe did not miss the way that she – whether she was aware she did it or not – ran a protective hand over her swollen belly, as though taking a moment to silently reassure herself that she and her unborn child were indeed fine.

While Ingelill resumed her blanket weaving, Signe shifted her gaze back down to the laundry she had been working on for the past hour. Pushing the sleeves of her dress a little further up her arms again, she dunked a shirt that belonged to Valborg into a bucket of water to soak it, then reached for the lump of soap to begin scrubbing it clean. When the shirt had been thoroughly scrubbed and most of the stains had been washed out, she tossed it into another bucket to soak with the other clothes she'd already cleaned. Signe then grabbed another item, one of Ingelill's shifts, and repeated the process.

Signe had been coming around to help her sister-in-law with chores such as these for a month now, ever since she'd gotten so large with pregnancy that it hindered her ability to carry out chores as easily as she had in the past. Considering how big Ingelill had gotten for being barely over six months with child, there was some speculation amongst the family that she might be carrying twins, which seemed all too likely given their family's affinity for producing twins. It seemed a fairly dominant trait on her mother's side of the family – her grandmother had been a twin, her mother had had a pair of twin cousins, and, of course, Signe had twin brothers of her own.

Growing up, her mother had predicted that at least one of her children would end up giving birth to twins, a prediction that even the seeress had allegedly confirmed at some point in time. But anytime they reminded Valborg or Ingelill of this possibility, the notion was usually brushed away. Given the multiple miscarriages that they had suffered through, they felt themselves fortunate enough just to be pregnant with _one_ child. They did not want to tempt fate or seem too selfish by hoping for more than that.

"I cannot thank you enough for coming to assist me with the chores," Ingelill said to break the silence, sending a gentle smile in her direction. "It helps so much. Valborg and I truly appreciate it."

"It is no problem at all," Signe assured her, smiling widely as she continued to scrub at the laundry. "I am happy to do anything I can to make this pregnancy easier for the both of you. Besides, it is nice to get away from the boys and spend time with another _girl_," she added, referring to the fact that the majority of her time was spent with her brothers or with Bjorn, or both – it was rare that got to spend one-on-one time with Ingelill.

"So what should we talk about since it is only us girls, then?" Ingelill asked with a playful smirk and mischievous gleam. "All the latest gossip in Hedeby? The newest hair fashions?" She paused. "Your _love_ life, perhaps?" She then suggested, wagging her eyebrows. "Tell me, for I have been anxious to know – what is happening with Bjorn?"

Ingelill was the only person Signe had confided in about her secret feelings for Bjorn. Being a married woman with six years of experience under her belt, Signe had been able to think of no better woman to go to for advice than her. Ingelill, oddly enough, had not been surprised to hear that she was falling for Bjorn, but had still been more than ready to lend an ear and some advice. She, of course, believe a match could be possible and thought Signe should just confess her feelings to him – Signe, on the other hand, had always been hesitant to do such a thing.

Signe sighed and shook her head. "_Nothing _is happening with Bjorn," she said ruefully. "Things between us are how they have always been. And I do not believe that vill be changing anytime soon, either."

"It could, if you only told him how you felt," Ingelill countered pointedly. "How is he to know that you vant more than friendship if he is not made aware of it? Because he vill certainly not figure it out on his own. Trust me," the woman said with a raise of her brows, "men are _not _that smart. I would know – I am married to one of them."

Signe laughed a bit, then let it fade into a heavy sigh of resignation. She had considered hinting to Bjorn that she had feelings for him one or twice, but had always talked herself out of it. In all honesty, she was afraid to tell him the truth, afraid that doing so might very well ruin their friendship – if he knew the truth about her feelings and, Gods forbid, did not return the sentiment, things between them would never be the same. He was simply too important for her to do anything that might end with her losing him. There had been moments where she thought that perhaps he _did _return the sentiment, but until he did something to encourage the idea that he might want more than friendship, she was going to keep her feelings to herself.

"It is not as simple as that," she told Ingelill with a shake of her head. "Bjorn is my best friend, Inge. I do not want to do anything that might put that friendship at risk unless I have good reason to do so."

"You cannot wait for him forever, Signe," Ingelill reminded her. "The longer you do, the less fair you are being to yourself - and to your heart."

Signe sighed, knowing Ingelill was right but not wanting to admit to that out loud. She _couldn't _wait forever, no, but she could certainly stand to wait a little bit longer. "Let us speak of something else," Signe suggested with a close-lipped smile, wanting to turn the subject of conversation away from her relationship with Bjorn. "How are you and the babe feeling these days, Inge? Have you been well?"

Ingelill pursed her lips, looking like she had quite a bit more she wanted to say on the subject of Bjorn, but finally seemed to realize that trying to press any further would be a waste of time. It was obvious that Signe was finished with that particular discussion and would not participate in it any further.

Ingelill sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "Yes, I have been well. The babe seems well, too," she said. The conversation about Bjorn was all but forgotten as Ingelill's eyebrows came together in what seemed like uncertainty. Signe frowned as she watched her sister-in-law, thinking her expression contradicted her words a little. "I will admit that this pregnancy feels different from the others, though," she continued, dropping a hand to her belly again. "I cannot describe how, but it does."

"Better?" Signe asked hopefully.

"I…I believe so," Ingelill said with a nod, even though she herself didn't sound completely convinced of her own answer. "The connection with him seems..." Ingelill paused as though trying to think of the right word. "…_stronger_ than it did with the others."

Her words made Signe frown with curiosity. "How do you mean?" She asked with interest.

Ingelill took a moment to consider how best to answer. "It is difficult to explain," she finally said, frowning at the half-woven blanket in front of her with a troubled expression on her face. "When I was pregnant with the other babies, it felt…well, in a way I felt as though they were not mine. As though I was carrying them for someone else," Ingelill admitted. She then looked to Signe with a half-hearted smile that came nowhere close to reaching her eyes. "I have never told anyone that, not even Valborg."

Signe was rather surprised by Ingelill's revelations. Even though she herself had never experienced pregnancy, it still seemed an odd thing to not feel _any_ sort of connection to a life made by and growing inside of one's self. To feel as though the child in your womb was not yours, that he or she belonged to someone else, must have been unimaginably difficult for Ingelill. Especially so because everyone else had viewed her pregnancies in a much different light – where Ingelill had been secretly troubled, they had all been openly excited at the prospect of a new addition to the family and had rejoiced in her pregnancies, never once choosing to believe that something might go wrong or that she would lose the babies before they ever reached birth.

Signe, who had always thought herself fairly perceptive, suddenly felt guilty for not picking up on Ingelill's true feelings during her previous pregnancies. If she had had someone to talk to about the way she felt, if she had been able to express her concerns from the beginning, would it have made the miscarriages easier for her to handle in some small way?

"I wish you had come to me with these feelings sooner," Signe said with a sigh, her eyes filled with sympathy and regret. "You should not have had to bear such a burden on your own, Inge."

Ingelill flushed a bit, looking a little shamefaced. "I considered doing so, but everyone was so happy." She paused and shook her head. "I did not wish to trample on anyone's joy," she admitted, "_especially_ Valborg's."

Signe mentally sighed, thinking that Ingelill was too selfless for her own good sometimes. "You are _family_," she reminded her, "What good are we for if you cannot come to us for help or advice?" Ingelill seemed to appreciate her words, even though she still looked a mite bit guilty. "Promise me that you vill seek me out if you ever have fears or doubts such as these weighing on your mind," Signe urged, her tone firm and leaving no room for argument. "Or, at the very least, promise me that you will speak to Valborg about it. We are always here to listen."

Ingelill opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but stopped short with a sudden look of surprise. Signe frowned in confusion, then felt a zing of alarm rush down her spine when Ingelill's hand quickly dropped down to her pregnant belly.

"What is it?" Signe asked, abandoning the laundry and rushing over to her sister-in-law's side in the blink of an eye, wet soapy hands and all. "What is the matter?" She questioned further, afraid that Ingelill was in pain or that something was wrong with the baby.

But when Ingelill looked up to her, there was no pain anywhere in her expression. Instead, she was smiling widely and her eyes were filled with happiness. "He is kicking."

In the next instance, Ingelill grabbed Signe's hand and pressed it tightly to her stomach. Silence fell over them as they both waited for the baby to kick again, Signe staring intently at where her hand laid while Ingelill watched her with expectant eyes. Neither of them even dared to breathe out of fear that it would interrupt the moment and make the baby still again. Finally, after a few more moments of waiting, Signe felt a little nudge against her palm. Her eyes flew up to Ingelill's and they shared a broad smile – the baby had been kicking for two weeks now, according to Valborg, but this was the first time Signe had felt it.

"He must have heard us talking about him," Ingelill said, still grinning. Signe didn't bother moving her hand away from the woman's stomach as the baby continued to kick, smiling wider each time she felt a bump against hand. "I think he likes you," Ingelill said with a soft laugh.

"You think the baby is a boy, then?" She asked, having not missed the way Ingelill kept referring to her unborn child as 'he'.

Ingelill shrugged. "Valborg believes so, so I suppose he has influenced me into thinking it as well," she told Signe. "To be honest, I do not care if he is he or if he is a she," she continued, the joy on her face slowly melting into worry and anxiety. The fear and paranoia that Signe had so often seen in both Ingelill and Valborg's eyes over the past six months had crept back into the woman's blue gaze. "I just want the baby to live and be healthy," Ingelill confessed, her voice a little thicker with emotion as she rubbed her stomach again.

Signe took in the genuine worry on her sister-in-law's face as her unborn niece of nephew continued to push against her hand, as though he or she were insistently trying to confirm to the two women that they were still there and still healthy. "And I believe he will, Inge," Signe said sincerely, finally moving her hand from Ingelill's stomach so she could squeeze her shoulder comfortingly.

Ingelill chewed on her lower lip for a moment as she turned Signe's words over in her head. When she met Signe's gaze again, her eyes were filled with unshed tears. "But what if he does not?" She finally asked, her tone shaky and her eyes wide and vulnerable as she finally voiced her fears aloud. "What if there is something wrong with me? What if I am unfit for children and am doomed to lose any child I carry?" She questioned further. "I do not think I can bear to lose another baby, Signe. It will destroy me, and it will destroy Valborg."

As the tears finally broke free and went sliding down Ingelill's cheeks, Signe wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a comforting hug, rubbing her back soothingly as she cried out all of her pent up feelings of fear and anxiety. After a few minutes, when she finally started to calm down again, Signe slowly pulled back so that she was able to look in Ingelill's red-rimmed eyes again.

"Do you know what I think?" She asked gently, offering a small, supportive smile. "I do not think there is anything wrong with you at all. Instead, I think that the Gods loved your other children _so much, _thought them _so perfect, _that they did not want to risk them meeting some horrible fate here on earth. They brought them directly to Valhalla so that they could be happy and be at peace for all of their days, never to feel an ounce of pain or sadness." Signe smiled softly as she imagined her unborn nieces or nephews running around in Valhalla while her mother, Gunnhild, happily chased after them. "No doubt they are in Valhalla now, being watched over by my mother and all of our kin as they smile down on us."

"You truly believe so?" Ingelill asked around a sniffle, eyes intent as she held Signe's gaze and listened on with earnest.

"Yes, I do," Signe answered without hesitation. "Which is also why I _know_ this child will be born," she continued, placing a hand on Ingelill's stomach again. "The Gods know the grief they have put you and Valborg through, the sadness you have felt in losing your children," she continued firmly, hoping her words would bring Ingelill peace of mind. "This child is a gift from them for the sacrifices you have made – I know in my heart that he will be born as healthy and as strong as an ox, and that he will live for many years to come. The Gods will make it so."

Ingelill stared at her for one silent second before dissolving into tears again. Signe sighed as she pulled Ingelill back into her arms for another hug, patting her back and offering comforting words as she allowed the woman to cry on her shoulder.

Valborg had warned that Ingelill had been a growing more…_emotional_…the further the pregnancy progressed, but this was the first Signe was really seeing of it. She had gone from happy and relaxed to hysterical and sobbing in the span of only a few minutes – the rapid shift in the woman's emotions was nearly enough to give her whiplash, it had happened so quickly. Signe found herself wondering if this happened to _all_ pregnant women, then immediately sent a silent prayer to the Gods that she not become as emotional a wreck as her sister-in-law whenever the time came for her to bear children of her own.

A few minutes later, just as Ingelill was starting to get ahold of herself again, the front door opened and Valborg walked inside. Sweaty and dirty from a morning of doing field work, he immediately froze when he caught sight of his weeping wife. In an instant he dropped what he was holding and hurried over to them, handsome face filling with concern as his eyes darted back and forth between Signe and Ingelill.

"What is wrong?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on Ingelill's shoulder and leaned down to try to catch her eye. "My love, are you unwell?"

Signe started to reassure her brother that everything was perfectly fine and that Ingelill had only been getting a few things off her chest, but her sister-in-law had recovered from emotional stint and beat her to the punch.

"I am well, Valborg, I promise," she said with a sniffle, finally pulling away from Signe so that she could wipe the tears from her face. Though her eyes were still red and bloodshot from crying and her voice was still thick with emotion, the woman looked more at ease and more at peace than she had in months. "I merely let my emotions get the better of me again and unleashed all my troubles on your sister, who so graciously leant an ear to listen." Ingelill paused to squeeze Signe's hand and smile at her warmly. "Thank you, Signe, for all your kind words," she said sincerely, telling her with her eyes just how much she had truly appreciated it. "They have brought me much needed comfort."

Signe, happy that she had made Ingelill feel better, squeezed her hand back. "You are welcome, Inge," she said simply, returning the woman's heartfelt smile.

Valborg still looked a tad bit confused and seemed as though he were contemplating prying further, but he seemed to decide against it in the end. "Alright," he said slowly, shaking his head a bit, "as long as you are certain you are well…"

Ingelill released Signe and turned to place her hands on either side of Valborg's neck, pulling him close so that she could kiss him reassuringly. They had kissed in front of her more times than she could count, but Signe still turned her eyes away respectfully so that she would not intrude on the moment.

"I am certain," Ingelill said when she finally pulled away from the kiss.

Valborg seemed convinced now, though whether or not that was because Ingelill's kiss had momentarily left him dumbstruck, Signe couldn't be sure. She had to fight back the urge to snicker at the expression on his face.

"Now," Ingelill said, wiping the last of her tears away as she fully collected herself, "let me make the two of you something to eat – you have both been working hard this morning." And before either of them could argue, Ingelill continued toward the small kitchen, smiling happily to herself and looking as though she were even glowing a bit.

Signe watched the woman go, feeling proud of herself for having eased some of Ingelill's worries. Even if this newfound contentedness ended up only lasting for a short time, at least for now her sister-in-law could escape the haunting past and rest easy knowing that the baby growing inside of her was as healthy and happy as she was.

A heavy arm dropping around her shoulders pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up at Valborg, who was watching his wife with a small smile on his face. "I have not seen her smile like that for many months now," he said in a low voice, speaking just loud enough so that only Signe would hear. "Whatever you said…" he continued, looking down at her with grateful eyes, "…thank you."

Signe smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist, returning his loose embrace. "You are welcome," she said back, patting his back.

Valborg smiled at her for a moment longer, then jerked his head toward a basin near the door. "Come on, let's wash up for lunch," he said, squeezing her in a one-armed hug for a short moment before releasing her. Signe just smiled and nodded, then followed his lead and went to get cleaned up for lunch.

* * *

After lunch, Signe finished washing the rest of the laundry and then hung it up outside to dry. With that finished and with no other chores that needed tending to, Signe decided that she would head back home for the day. Even though the trip home was not long and she knew she would be home well before dark, Valborg insisted that she let him walk her home and refused to take no for an answer. Signe finally conceded, gave Ingelill a long hug goodbye as she promised to come by again in a week, then left with Valborg.

Though silence stretched between them the first few minutes of their walk, Signe quickly began to suspect there was something on her brother's mind that he wanted to talk to her about. There was a familiar look of deep concentration on his face as they walked along the trodden path, one that instantly let her know he was thinking very hard about something. She waited as patiently as she could for him to come out with it, but after the silence stretched on a few minutes longer, she finally had to cave and ask.

"Is there something on your mind, Valborg?" She asked knowingly.

Valborg blinked as though emerging from his own thoughts, then looked down at her. "Sorry, I was thinking about Ingelill," he confessed, his lips turning downward some. "And about the babe," he added, before heaving quietly through his nose. "I worry about them."

Signe smiled and reached over to pat his back. "I know you do, brother," she said sympathetically. "And I, nor anyone, could fault you for such feelings – you and Ingelill have been through much over the years. Anyone who suffered the loss that you two have would feel the same."

Valborg nodded slowly, then looked to her with inquiring eyes. "What was she speaking to you about?" He asked, using their current privacy to his advantage so that he could pry a little further into her and Ingelill's conversation. "Does she fear for the baby?"

"Yes, she does," Signe confirmed with a small sigh, which made Valborg frown unhappily. "Inge is just scared, as would be expected of a woman who had lost three babies before," she explained. "I think she is afraid to believe that this pregnancy is different, afraid to let herself hope too much," Signe continued, thinking back to her conversation with the woman – she was trying to remain vague as she could without completely keeping her brother in the dark, not wanting to betray anything Ingelill had wished to keep in confidence but not wanting to betray Valborg's trust in her either. "She is frightened of what another loss would do to both of you."

"I understand," Valborg said, heaving heavily, "because they are the same fears that plague _me_. If we lost this child as well…" He trailed off and shook his head, unable to complete the sentence. Signe didn't need for him to do so for her to understand how devastating another loss would be for Valborg and his wife. "I do not believe it will happen this time," Valborg finally continued, his tone taking on a strong note of confidence. "This child will be born healthy and strong, I am sure of it."

Signe smiled and squeezed his arm, making him look down at her again. "As am I, brother," she said reassuringly. "As am I."

Valborg smiled at her, clearly appreciating her supportive words.

A brief, comfortable silence passed between them as they continued on in the direction of the family house. After a few moments, though, Valborg looked down at her again, this time with a much more serious expression on his face.

"Signe, I wanted to walk you home because there is something I wished to discuss with you in private," he admitted, not catching her by surprise at all.

Signe quirked a brow at her brother, curious to know where this conversation was going. "Alright…" she trailed off slowly, silently beseeching him with her eyes to continue.

"It vill only be a few more months before the babe arrives," he started, eyebrows stitching together, "and with the day fast approaching, Inge and I have had many things to discuss and decide on." Signe frowned a bit, her curiosity growing with each word. "Those going on the raids will be leaving in a month and likely will not return for just as long, which means they will probably still be gone when Inge is due to give birth. Given our past…_misfortunes_," he said steadily, "neither of us is fond of the idea of her having to face childbirth alone." Valborg hesitated. "That is why I have decided not to join the raids this year."

Signe blinked at him in surprise. Of everything he could have possibly told her, this was not what she had been expecting to hear. Being the oldest and (arguably) best fighter amongst the siblings, Valborg had gone on the raids every year since he was seventeen, the one exception being two years previous, when he had come down with an illness just before the men left to raid and spent an entire month confined to his bed. Because of the profits that the raids yielded, it was something that Valborg looked forward to every year. It was odd to think of watching the boats depart _with _Valborg rather than watching him sail away on them, as she had done so many times in the past.

"I admit I am a bit surprised to hear this," Signe confessed, raising her eyebrows at her brother. "But I understand why you would want to remain here." She paused, then smile at him ruefully. "Our brothers will be very disappointed to hear it, Hallsteinn especially."

Being the two oldest, Valborg and Hallsteinn had always been two peas in a pod. Growing up everyone always knew that where one was, the other was surely close by. They did nearly everything together, whether that be carrying out chores, learning how to fight, or learning how to talk to girls. Now, as men, they not only raided together and fought side-by-side, but had taken it upon themselves to keep the family in line whenever their father could not. They weren't just brothers – they were best friends.

Valborg sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "Yes, I suspect they shall," he agreed, "but they will just have to do without me this year, I am afraid. Inge and the babe come first now," he stated firmly. "I think even Hallsteinn will have to understand my reason for staying behind."

Given the fact that Hallsteinn was a warrior through and through and was far more interested in finding glory on the battlefield than starting a family of his own – which was why he had never even come close to marrying, despite the fact that he was nearly twenty-four – Signe wasn't so convinced that he _would _understand. She didn't tell Valborg that, though.

"There is more Signe," Valborg continued, pulling her to a gentle halt with a hand on her shoulder and pinning her with a serious look. "I have watched you train over the years and have watched you grow stronger and stronger as a warrior. I believe the time for you to prove yourself as a worthy shieldmaiden has come," he said, making her heart suddenly skip a beat. "Know that it is my intention to speak with father and urge him to give you permission to join the raids in my stead."

Signe's eyes grew so large that they nearly bugged out of her head. She had been old enough to go on the raids for three years now, but thus far had not actually gotten to do so. Seeing as their father only had one arm, there was only so much that he could do to maintain their farm – and the chores he _could _carry out took nearly twice as long. The thought of him trying to take care of an entire farm one-handedly – literally – was absolutely absurd, so once they had all grown old enough to raid, Signe and her brothers had come to the agreement that at least one of them needed to stay behind during the summer season to help him with all the work.

Unfortunately for Signe, that someone had always been her.

"You are serious?" She asked, almost afraid to believe he actually would do as he said or to get her hopes up too high.

Valborg nodded. "Yes. I will already be here taking care of Ingelill and the babe – I will be able to help father as well," he said firmly. He then squeezed her shoulder and smiled encouragingly. "I know it has been a desire of yours to go on the raids for many years now. I think it only fair that you finally be allowed to go."

Without saying a word, Signe threw her arms around Valborg's waist and hugged him tightly, so happy she felt she might burst out of her skin. For so long she had been biding her time, waiting with forced patience until the day that she could finally step into her role as a shieldmaiden and see the world outside Hedeby – now that it might have very possibly arrived, she was so excited that she didn't even know what to do with herself. She wanted to jump for joy, she wanted to shout out her happiness for the whole world to hear, she wanted to run to Bjorn and tell him the good news.

Signe immediately stiffened as Bjorn's face flashed through her mind, then felt her happiness begin to deflate some.

Bjorn had wanted to go on the raids since he'd come of age as well, yet Earl Sigvard had always held him back. Because they were always left behind, _their _summer seasons were always spent together. While Signe's brothers were off travelling the world and plundering riches, they would spend their days training, talking about the foreign parts of the world they would someday see, or reenacting vicious battles that they had yet to take part in. They both dreamed of exploring unknown lands, but whenever they talked about it, it was always under the belief that they'd be doing it _together_.

Signe frowned deeply. How could she possibly go raid without Bjorn? How could she leave him behind to deal with Earl Sigvard by himself? She could only imagine how disappointed – possibly even _hurt_ – he would be if she left to explore the world without him.

"What is wrong?" Valborg asked, noticing the shift in her demeanor as they released each other from the hug. "This is your dream, yes? I thought you would be happy to hear this," he stated, his confusion obvious.

"I am, Valborg, trust me. I am beyond happy with this news," she quickly reassured him. A frown still turned her lips downwards, though, and her eyebrows had furrowed together in consternation. "I just…I was thinking of Bjorn," Signed admitted, her cheeks flushing some. "We alvays thought we would raid together. If I go without him, he will be so very disappointed."

"He will not be going?" Valborg asked curiously.

Signe shook her head. "Not unless Earl Sigvard suddenly changes his mind, which is very unlikely," she stated dryly, mentally cursing the Earl in her head for being so stubborn and cruel.

Valborg made a thoughtful noise at that, but said nothing in response.

They continued on after that, both falling silent as they became lost in their thoughts. Signe continued to think about Bjorn and suddenly found herself dreading the next time they would see one another. He could read her so easily that she knew she would not be able to hide this information from him for long. He would start to ask questions that she would not be able to avoid, and then he would undoubtedly be upset when he learned what was to happen. She hoped that he would understand and that he would not be angry – she hoped he would be able to find it in himself to be happy for her.

"Signe," Valborg spoke up again, making her look up at him. There was an odd expression on his face, one that immediately made the air around them feel much more awkward. "There is something else I have been wanting to discuss with you, only I was not sure how to approach the topic…"

"Yes?" She prompted after he did not come out with it right away.

Valborg cleared his throat before speaking. "As you well know, you will be turning twenty this year," he stated matter-of-factly, now looking a bit uneasy. He even reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck, a sign that he was either nervous or uncomfortable. "Most young women your age are either married or betrothed, yet you are neither." Signe stiffened, pretty sure she knew where this part of the conversation was going. "Have you any interest in marrying?"

The subject of her marriage plans – or lack thereof – had been a popular one ever since Signe reached marrying age. She would not lie – there had been plenty of suitors over the years, both young and old, but she had rejected them all. It was not that she was necessarily opposed to the idea of marriage, because she did want a husband and children someday, but it was not something she was certain she wanted right _now_. Not when there was still so much that she wished to accomplish.

…or at least, that was what Signe liked to tell herself. Deep down, she knew that Bjorn was a large part of her reason for remaining unmarried. It was rather hard to consider marrying somebody else when her heart kept leading her back to Bjorn, after all. There were several young women her age who had not married because they were in love, who had chosen their husbands strictly by the sort of life he could provide for them - such and arrangement was really not that uncommon - but Signe wanted more than that. She wanted to marry for _love_ like her parents had, like Valborg and Ingelill had. And if she had to be patient and wait for love to find her, then so be it.

"Is this you asking," Signe finally countered with a knowing look, "or father?"

Valborg cringed a bit, as though he knew he'd just been caught. "Both," he answered truthfully. And Signe was not surprised to hear it. Oleg knew how close she and Valborg were – of _course _he would send his oldest son in to worm information out of her.

Signe sighed and turned her eyes forward. "Of course I have interest in marrying," she said with slight exasperation. "I may want to be a shieldmaiden and explore other lands, but that does not mean I do not want a husband and children of my own. I am merely waiting for the right man to come along," she reassured him firmly.

Valborg hesitated for a moment. "Waiting for the right man to come along…or waiting for _Bjorn _to ask?"

Signe looked at him sharply, caught so off guard by his blunt question that, for a moment, she had no response. Her first though was that Ingelill had betrayed her trust and told Valborg about Signe's secret feelings, but she quickly decided that was probably not the case – Ingelill was trustworthy. She would never utter a word to anyone so long as Signe asked her not to. So then was she really that easy read? Had her other brothers noticed her growing affection for her friend as well? Or, she thought with mild alarm, had _Bjorn _noticed? Finally, with cheeks burning bright red from embarrassment, she pressed her lips together and turned her eyes forward.

"I know not what you speak of," she said, jutting her chin into the air and hoping to avoid another conversation about Bjorn. Though she could go to Valborg for anything and know he would listen, discussing her love life and her growing feelings for her best friend with him was not something she wanted to do. It was just too…_strange_.

"Yes, you do," Valborg countered without missing a beat. She would not meet his gaze, but she could feel his eyes boring into the side of her face. No doubt he was looking at her with that knowing expression he liked to wear when he knew he was being lied to. "You forget – I know you better than you know yourself, sister. I know your feelings for Bjorn run deeper than you like to admit."

Signe cursed Valborg in her head for being so perceptive. She should have _known_ that he would notice – absolutely _nothing _escaped the man's attention, apparently not even the affections of a nineteen year old woman. Deciding that there was no point in denying it because Valborg would just see through her lies anyway, Signe came to a halt and turned a quirked eyebrow on her brother.

"And what if they do?" She asked, a hint of defensiveness lacing her words. "What then?"

Valborg sighed and shrugged. "Then I would admit that it does not surprise me. The two of you have been inseparable for four years now – it was only a matter of time before something like this happened," he stated matter-of-factly. There was an odd expression on his face, however, one that made Signe feel a bit wary of what he planned to say next. "But if I am to be honest," he continued cautiously, "it leaves me with some doubts."

Signe's eyebrows immediately came together with uncertainty. "What do you mean?" She asked with mounting uneasiness.

Again, Valborg sighed. "I like Bjorn, Signe," he started carefully, "as does father and our brothers. He has alvays treated you well and has been a good friend to you since he came to Hedeby." He paused for a moment as though collecting his thoughts. "But…" Signe did not like the look on his face, nor the hesitance with which he spoke. "But truthfully, I fear that you may be setting yourself up for heartache."

Signe did not know how to take her brother's admission. She had her own doubts where Bjorn was concerned, of course – how could she not when she was treading on such precarious ground? – but Signe at least still believed there could be more between them _someday_. Judging by the tone of Valborg's voice and the look on his face, _he_ did not.

"You think Bjorn does not feel the same?" She asked bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"I think he is eighteen and that he is still a _boy_," Valborg corrected patiently, "a boy, furthermore, who does not yet know what he wants." Signe turned her eyes away, feeling disheartened by her brother's words. When Valborg saw the expression on her face, he heaved softly and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I do not say this to cause you any hurt," he said gently. "I only say these things because I know better than you how men are at that age, and because I love you and do not want you to place your hope where there is none."

Signe was too stung to hear his words with a rational ear, though. Valborg had always been an honest man, but she had forgotten that sometimes his honesty could be painful, if not downright _brutal_. "Is it really so impossible to think that Bjorn might care for me in return?" She asked, shrugging Valborg's hand off before crossing her arms over her chest. "Am I that vile, brother?"

Valborg quirked a brow and mimicked her pose, crossing his large arms over his chest. "Do not say such foolish things, Signe, you _know _that is not the way of it," he said sternly. "How many men have we had to chase away over the years? How many men have come to father asking for your hand in marriage?" He proceeded to remind her, making her press her lips together tightly. "You are a beautiful woman and there are _plenty_ who would be proud to call you their wife," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument, "I just am not sure Bjorn is one of them."

Signe sighed and raised a hand to rub her forehead for a moment, suddenly starting to feel an ache forming in her skull. This conversation had just taken a very unexpected turn – any happiness she had felt at learning of Valborg's plans to get her on the summer raids was quickly being overshadowed by a distinct feeling of hurt at his firm belief that she was wasting her time with Bjorn. There was a part of her that did not want to believe it was true, but there was another part that knew Valborg was hardly ever wrong about things like this. He did misjudge situations on occasion, true, but it was very rare.

Signe hoped this was one of those times.

"So what would you have me do, then, Valborg?" She asked, shrugging her shoulder at him helplessly. "Marry the next man who asks? Marry the richest one I can find? Marry for_ convenience _rather than for love?"

Valborg sighed and gave her a weary look. "That is not what I am saying at all," he told her calmly. "You are still young, and there is a whole world of options before you. I am merely suggesting that you take the time to consider them all before you dedicate your heart to another. That is all."

She could tell by the look on his face that he was waiting for her to say something in return. Instead of answering however, Signe just turned on her heel and strode off, continuing in the direction of the house. She heard Valborg release a heavy heave and could imagine that he was probably rolling his eyes to the sky right then. After a few moments he followed after her, but Signe did not meet his gaze as he fell into step with her again.

As they walked in silence, Valborg's words continued to roll around in her mind. The whole situation was rather ironic, actually – here Valborg was warning her away from Bjorn and encouraging her to explore other marriage options, while barely two hours ago his wife had been doing the exact opposite. Quite suddenly, it felt as though she had the wise Balder on one shoulder and the trickster Loki on the other, both whispering words of advice into her ears that completely contradicted each other and left her confused as to what she should believe.

Was Ingelill right in think there might be a chance? Or was Valborg right in thinking there wasn't?

"You are angry with me," Valborg stated to break the silence.

Signe glanced over at him and sighed when she saw the crestfallen expression her brother was struggling to hide. "I am not angry," she said in resignation, "I am just…confused. Your words have given me much to think about," she admitted, squinting her eyes into the distance. It was an enormous relief when she saw that the house had popped into view – being home meant this conversation would soon come to an end.

Valborg moved closer and dropped a hand onto her shoulder. He seemed relieved to know she wasn't angry, but still looked at her with apologetic eyes. "I am sorry if my words were hurtful," he said sincerely. "It was not my intention."

Signe nodded. "I know."

They both seemed to run out of things to say after that, and spent the rest of the walk in silence.

* * *

That night, Signe could not sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed, alternating between staring at the ceiling and watching the flickering flames of the candles on the bedside table, huffing in annoyance every so often. All night long she had been thinking about Bjorn, her mind now a jumbled, confused mess after her contradicting conversations with Ingelill and Valborg. So consumed by her troubled musings was Signe that even her brothers and father noticed her unusual reclusiveness. Luckily she had been able to avoid having to tell them what was _really_ bothering her by feigning a headache and retiring early.

she needed to get some sleep, otherwise she would be dead on her feet tomorrow and chores would be a nightmare. Exhausted, both mentally and physically, and determined to push Bjorn out of her mind for the night, Signe blew out the candles on her bedside table and shut her eyes, ready to force herself into sleep if she had to. For a few moments she laid completely still and focused on slowing her breathing, hoping a steady rhythm would help lure her into a peaceful slumber. She cleared her mind of any lingering thoughts, concentrating on nothing but breathing in through her nose, and out through her mouth. Finally, _thankfully, _she began to feel herself drifting toward sleep.

But just as her body started to grow heavy with the approaching slumber, a strange feeling suddenly washed over her, startling her back to full consciousness.

Signe's eyes popped open and her senses snapped back to attention in a flash. Any traces of sleep instantly evaporating, she sat up in bed and looked around her small, dark bedroom in confusion, willing her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting so that she could see her surroundings better. She wasn't sure why or how, but something about the atmosphere felt different, felt...off. It felt as though she was being _watched_, but there was nobody in the room with her. Signe felt her heart begin to pound in her chest as her eyes searched the room again, scarcely able to breathe she felt so uneasy - she thought she saw something move in the corner of her eye, a dark, wispy figure of some sort, but when she whipped her head around to look, it was gone.

Signe suddenly stiffened when a whisper filled her ears, so soft and faint that she could not understand what was being said. Her eyes darted around the room as the whispers grew louder, searching vainly for the source of the sound but finding no such thing. Signe was confused, she had no idea what was happening. Who was this that she was hearing? And what were they saying?

"_Signe…" _the voice hissed, suddenly much louder and much clearer than before. "_When the son returns to the father, that is when your journey shall begin." _

She felt her entire body stiffen. She had heard those words before, though they did not make much more sense now than they had back then. She also recognized the voice that had said them, even if it had been nearly seven years since she last heard it. it was the seeress's voice. Signe's eyes did another rapid sweep of the room, expecting that the woman would emerge from the shadows and jump at her at any given second. But no such thing happened, and Signe did not see the mystical woman anywhere.

"What is this?" She finally found the courage to ask, voice filled with uncertainty. "What are you telling me this again?"

But again, the only response she received was, "_When the son returns to the father, that is when your journey shall begin." _

Signe frowned and felt herself start to grow frustrated. "Why do you keep saying this? Whom do you speak of?" She asked, desperate to know the answer to the question that had plagued her for so long. "Answer me!"

"_When the son returns to the father, that is when your journey shall begin!"_

And then, just like that, the voice abruptly faded away and the strange feeling vanished, leaving the room as still and silent as it had been mere minutes ago and leaving Signe to stare confusedly into the encompassing darkness.

* * *

**Thoughts? **

**For those of you who aren't familiar with my style, I'm a 'slow burn' kind of writer. Which means I take the time to set up the groundwork instead of just diving right into the main plot. So I know we're off to a bit of a slow start, but trust me – it pays off in the end. Please be patient with me!**

**P.S. I'm not good at predicting my own stories (often time my writing gets away with me), but I predict Torstein will come into the picture in about three chapters. Just to give ya'll something to look forward to!**


	4. Chapter Three

**Thanks again to all of you who have added this story to your alert/favorite list, and a big, huge thank you to those who review! I know we're all eager for Signe and Torstein to meet – trust me, I'm ****_so _****ready to get to that part because my mind is literally exploding with ideas for those two – but it'll be a little longer yet before they do. Be strong! We can all make it together!**

**Anywho, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Vikings.**

**P.S. Long chapter is long.**

* * *

_Chapter Three_

To say that the strange incident with the seeress left Signe's mind reeling would have been a serious understatement.

At first she had thought she might have imagined the whole thing. She had been tired, stressed, and not exactly in the best state of mind at the time – maybe the entire thing had merely been a strange dream. A very _realistic _dream, but a dream nonetheless. But after thinking about what had happened a little longer, Signe grew certain that she had not dreamt anything at all. She had been awake when the seeress reached out to her, that she was absolutely certain of – she could practically still feel the eerie tension that had encompassed the room, could still hear the seeress' voice on the wind and in her ears. What had happened in her room had not been a dream or a hallucination – it had been _real_. A message from the seeress, maybe even from the _Gods_.

Signe could not deny that the Völva had come to her. But _why _she had done so, was still a mystery.

It might have been seven years since she had last spoken to the seeress, but to this day Signe could still recall every word of their one and only conversation with perfect clarity. Signe had mulled over the conversation more times than she could count since that fateful day, weighing and rolling the woman's prophetic words around in her head, searching for hidden clues that she hadn't picked up on at the time – all the while biding her time as she waited for the path to be revealed to her.

She would be lying if she said she didn't have some suspicions regarding who this '_son'_ was that the Völva kept referring to – of all the men she knew, Bjorn was the only one who fit the mold of the seeress' predictions. She had said Signe would fall in love and marry a great warrior. Well, Signe was fairly confident that it was love she was starting to feel for Bjorn and there was no doubt in her mind that he would someday grow to be as renowned a fighter as his father, Ragnar Lothbrok. It was also impossible for her to ignore the fact that Bjorn lived away from his father, whom she knew he missed even if he didn't always act like it. Though he may not have outright told her he planned to return to Kattegat someday, secretly she had always suspected it was something he wanted to do.

Taking all of that into account, it was really only logical to assume Bjorn was the one. But if that was indeed the case, why was the seeress reaching out to her _now_, four years after they had met and become friends? What did it mean that the Völva had purposefully come to her in the middle of the night just to repeat those same cryptic words from so many years ago? Was it some sort of sign? Did it mean something was about to happen? Something that would send Signe down the path the Völva had told her about?

The only way to know for sure and get the answers she sought, Signe finally concluded, was to pay the Völva another visit. But another visit to the seeress was _exactly _what she had been avoiding these past seven years. The first time she had spoken to her had left her unsatisfied and with a head full of unanswered questions. The thought of meeting with the enigmatic woman only to get the same ending result left her feeling more than a little hesitant to go through with it – she was confused enough as it was without the Völva puzzling her even further.

"Have you listened to a word I have said?"

The exasperated question broke through the onslaught of thoughts swirling around in her head, startling her back to reality. She had gotten so wrapped up in her troubled musing about the Völva that she had completely forgotten the world around her – she had forgotten that she had been sharpening weapons with Bjorn behind the house while her brothers trained in the field some twenty yards away. Their father had gone into town, so they had all decided to take advantage of his absence and had abandoned their chores for more entertaining activities.

"Forgive me," Signe apologized, shaking her head to clear it. "I was a million miles away."

Bjorn snorted in response. "Yes, I noticed," he shot at her with a hint of sarcasm. "Is something wrong?" He asked, nudging her with his elbow.

Signe sighed and gave him a sideways glance, unsure how to answer him. Though she trusted Bjorn wholeheartedly, she did not feel comfortable telling him about her experiences with the Völva, nor what had been said. After all, she couldn't very well just come out and say, "_I visited the Völva_ _when I was a girl and am fairly certain everything she told me about my future revolves around __**you**_", now could she?Until she knew with complete and utter certainty that Bjorn was indeed the man the Völva had seen in her future, Signe wouldn't breathe a word of it. In the off chance her suspicions turned out to be wrong, she did not want to confuse things even more by needlessly dragging him into it.

"Signe?" Bjorn prodded tentatively when she took too long to answer, eyebrows now furrowed together in concern. "Talk to me."

Signe sucked in a deep breath, then released it as a heavy sigh. Firmly pushing thoughts of the Völva to the back of her mind, she decided the time had come to tell Bjorn about something else that had been weighing on her mind the past few days. "I have…something to tell you," she said slowly, scrunching her nose up a bit as she looked at him again.

Bjorn waited for her to continue, then waved an impatient hand when she did not. "What is it?"

Signe knew she couldn't stall any longer. "A few days ago, Valborg told me that he was not going to raid this summer," she started, nervously picking at the handle of her axe with a thumbnail as she spoke. "He wants to stay home with Inge and help her when the baby is born." Signe paused as Bjorn nodded his understanding, then sucked in another deep breath. "He's asked father to let _me _go in his stead," she finally blurted out, cringing as she waited for Bjorn's reaction.

His eyebrows shot up some in surprise his expression mildly dumbfounded as he let that news sink in. "Has your father given permission?" Bjorn finally asked when he had recovered from his surprise some.

Signe shrugged and shook her head. "I have been waiting for his answer," she said, sighing again, "but father is taking his time giving it."

Bjorn nodded, then turned his gaze elsewhere, looking deep in thought. For the most part, he seemed caught off guard by this newfound information, as she had expected he might be. But Signe knew Bjorn well – she recognized the disappointment lurking in his eyes, the same disappointment he was trying (and failing) to hide from her as he realized she would be going on the raids without him. It was exactly what Signe had hoped she _wouldn't _see, but had known deep down would be there the moment he heard the news.

"It is not decided yet," she found herself saying quickly, keeping her voice hushed so their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "Father might not even allow me to go. He might not think me ready for the raids yet," Signe said, though she wasn't sure what she was trying to do more – keep Bjorn from getting too discouraged, or keep _herself _from getting too _encouraged_ in case her father did say no.

"Signe, you are a good fighter," Bjorn countered with a quirked brow. "I know it, your brothers know it – your _father _knows it. Just as we all know it has been your dream to follow in your mother's footsteps and experience life outside of Hedeby." He paused and nodded to himself. "Oleg will agree," he stated matter-of-factly, "I am sure he will."

Well, at least _Bjorn_ sounded confident. Signe wished she could say the same for herself.

They held each other's gaze for a moment before Signe sighed and looked down at the axe in her hand, picking at the handle with her thumbnail again. "Are you upset?" She asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"In a way…yes," Bjorn admitted after a moment's hesitation, making her heart plummet to her stomach. "But at the same time, no," he continued, offering a ghost of a smile. "I knew you vould go someday," he said slowly, shrugging a shoulder, as though this was a fact he'd resigned to a long time ago. As Bjorn then sighed heavily to himself, the small smile on his face disappeared. "I just alvays thought I would be going with you," he admitted, looking discouraged again. "I wish I could be there to experience it with you."

Signe frowned and nodded her head. "As do I, friend," she said, smiling forlornly. Bjorn returned the gesture half-heartedly. "But," Signe continued after a moment, wiping the sadness off her face, "father has not decided yet. I will not know for sure whether I am going or not until he gives me an answer."

Bjorn response was to send her a look, silently telling her with his eyes that she was foolish for thinking Oleg would say no.

Bjorn quietly watched as Garik and Gunnar sparred in the distance for a few seconds, then reached over to drop a hand on her far shoulder. He squeezed it for a moment before pulling her into his side for a hug, arm wrapping securely around her shoulders. Signe felt her cheeks flush a bit, but leaned into him as she gladly accepted the gesture. Bjorn was not an overly affectionate person, so on the rare occasion that he _did _bestow attention like this on her, she relished in it.

"I am glad for you, Signe," he said, putting on a happy smile for her.

Signe smiled widely in return and was just opening her mouth to tell him thank you when another voice beat her to the punch.

"And just _vhat_ – " Signe and Bjorn looked up to see Hallsteinn approaching, axe in hand and one eyebrow quirked upward suspiciously, " – is going on here?" He finished, motioning to the arm Bjorn had around her with his axe.

Hallsteinn used to wear his golden hair rather long but recently had changed the style, shaving the sides bald but leaving a long middle section from hairline to nape to be worn in multiple intricate braids that hung down to his shoulder blades – a style, Signe suspected, to be inspired by descriptions he'd heard of Ragnar Lothbrok. He also had a neatly trimmed beard, a straight nose, and dark, ever-scrutinizing eyes. He was the strongest and probably the best looking of her brothers. Hallsteinn was also, however, the most _frightening_ of her brothers. There was no denying that he had been born to be a warrior – the way that he carried himself oozed complete self-assurance and plainly stated to everyone that he was not only _not _afraid of a fight, but ready to take on any enemy, anytime, anyw_here_. He had a short temper that had gotten him in plenty of fights in the past, a temper which, amazingly enough, seemed to get even shorter when it came to men getting too friendly with Signe. Needless to say, he had gained himself a bit of a reputation in town over the years. Unless you were looking to have your face smashed in, Hallsteinn was no man to be trifled with.

Bjorn tensed when he saw the tell-tale glint in Hallsteinn's eye and slowly removed his arm from around Signe's shoulders. It didn't seem to matter that he was practically _brothers _with the man – he still knew better than to do anything that might put him on Hallsteinn's bad side. "I meant nothing by it," he said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"_Hallsteinn_," Signe said through clenched teeth when he just 'hmph'ed in response and quirked his brow higher, looking thoroughly unconvinced. He was undeniably the most protective of her brothers. Normally she didn't mind, but when it was _Bjorn _he was hassling, it irritated her greatly. "Bjorn is my friend. What you are doing is unnecessary," Signe chastised, warning him with her eyes that he had better stop his charade.

Hallsteinn idly twirled his axe around in his hands, staring at Signe for a long moment before sliding his gaze back to Bjorn. Signe could feel the tension rolling off of Bjorn as the older, stronger man glared at him through narrowed eyes, staring at him so intently one might think he was trying to look into his very soul. But finally, just as Signe was about to tell Hallsteinn to stop being an idiot and go away, a wide grin spread across his handsome, bearded face.

"You should have seen the look on your face," he snorted at Bjorn, pointing at him with his axe. Bjorn leaned back an inch or two, eyes trained warily on the sharp blade of Hallsteinn's weapon. He seemed unsure whether or not to believe that Hallsteinn was actually joking with him. "You might vant to check that you did not piss yourself," he added smugly, pointing the axe at Bjorn's crotch.

And with that Hallsteinn turned to walk away, looking mighty pleased with himself as he went and twirling his axe around as though it were a baton.

Bjorn released a breath and raised his brows at Signe, who, feeling rather mortified, instantly looked to him in apology. "Sometimes I think Hallsteinn really likes me," Bjorn said slowly, looking a bit stumped. "Other times…I really think he vants to kill me."

Signe couldn't help but smirk, a bit amused by his words. "He likes you, I promise," she reassured him firmly. "He just…likes to frighten the piss out of you, too," she added, making Bjorn huff to himself.

"So I have noticed," he said pointedly, turning his eyes back to Hallsteinn's retreating back. Just as he was about to reach Garik and Gunnar he suddenly darted forward, charging the sparring twins. There was a brief skirmish between the three, but within moments Garik and Gunnar were rolling on the ground and Hallsteinn, the victor, was the last man standing. "Just remind me never to get on his _bad _side," Bjorn said, some wariness creeping back into his tone. "Hallsteinn is _not _someone I vant as my enemy."

The sound of approaching horses suddenly sounded in the air, catching their attention and bringing their conversation to a halt. Signe and Bjorn looked to each other before getting to their feet and moving from their spot behind the house so they could see who had arrived. When her eyes landed on the riders coming down the path that led to the house, she instantly felt her shoulders relax. She recognized those horses – the tan one belonged to her father; the white and grey one belonged to Valborg.

"Who is it?" Hallsteinn asked as he crossed the field, having also heard the horses. Behind him, Garik and Gunnar were pulling themselves to their feet again so they could follow after their brother.

"It is father. He has returned from town," Signe called back. "He has Valborg with him."

Hallsteinn came to a halt next to her and crossed his arms over his chest, eyes trained on the two familiar horses as they slowly trotted forward. "I did not think Valborg was coming here today," he commented, eyes filling with intrigue as he watched them approach.

"Perhaps they went to town together," Gunnar offered as he and Garik finally reached them. "Or maybe Valborg saw father on his vay home and just felt like joining him," he added, before wincing and pressing a hand to his side.

But even as Gunnar said this, Signe could see that Oleg and Valborg's faces were set in very serious expressions. It made her frown with uncertainty for a moment, before she was suddenly filled with the nagging suspicion that this was not just another regular visit on Valborg's part. Expressions like that meant one thing – business.

Signe turned a look on Bjorn for a moment, who peered back at her curiously, before starting toward her father and brother. Only seconds later, the others followed her.

They reached Oleg and Valborg just as the two were dismounting their horses. Before anything could even be said, both men immediately looked at Signe before sharing a meaningful look with each other. Signe faltered and felt her stomach twist with anxiety, her suspicions being confirmed with the one, single look. She was right, this _was _about business – that look, Valborg's sudden appearance, the seriousness surrounding the two…Oleg had come to a decision about Signe's involvement in the raids and he was ready to deliver his verdict.

"Father, Valborg," Hallsteinn greeted slowly, eyes sliding back and forth between the two. "Is something the matter?" He asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"As a matter of fact," Oleg said, taking a moment to look at each of them with his one good eye, "there is something that all of us must discuss." He paused when his gaze suddenly landed on Bjorn. Despite the tension now lingering in the air because of his vague answer, Oleg smiled kindly at Bjorn in greeting, not looking overly surprised to see him there. "Hello, young Bjorn," he said, moving to shake Bjorn's hand. "Never a surprise to see you amongst my children."

"Oleg," Bjorn said, nodding his head respectfully as they shook hands.

"I would invite you inside and tell you to stay for supper and ale," Oleg said in a polite tone, "but I am afraid I have a very serious matter to discuss with my children. Perhaps now is not the best time for visitors," he suggested gently, trying his best to send Bjorn on his way without offending him.

Oleg's words only continued to confuse Garik, Gunnar, and Hallsteinn. The three looked to each other in silent question, obviously at a loss as to what this 'serious discussion' was going to be about. _Signe_ knew, though. She knew _exactly _what her father wanted to talk about. And, quite suddenly, she had never felt so nervous in her whole life. Her heart felt as though it had gotten stuck in her throat, her palms felt sweaty, and her stomach had filled with butterflies that flapped so wildly she thought she might be sick.

Bjorn immediately nodded his head, having received Oleg's message loud and clear. "Of course," he said, glancing down at Signe. Their gazes locked for only a split second, but she knew from the look in Bjorn's eyes that he too knew what Oleg wanted to discuss with his children. "I will see you soon?" He asked.

Signe nodded in silent confirmation, then watched as Bjorn said his goodbyes and started down the road that would lead him home. He shot one last glance at Signe over his shoulder as he left, but then turned forward again and quickened his pace so he could leave the family to their privacy.

"Valborg," Oleg said, drawing Signe's attention back to him. He was handing his horses reigns to Valborg, who took them without question and then went to secure the horses in the stables with the others. "Come," Oleg then said to Signe and the rest of the brothers, beckoning them to follow him as he headed for the door, "let us go inside."

Signe shared a look with her brothers before they all obediently followed him inside.

Oleg went to start a fire in the nearby hearth while Signe and her brothers waited patiently in their seats at the kitchen table. Garik and Gunnar had claimed two seats on one side of the table while Signe and Hallsteinn claimed the two on the opposite side, leaving the chairs at the ends open for Oleg and Valborg. The door opened a minute later and Valborg joined them inside. While Garik, Gunnar, and Hallsteinn proceeded to have a silent, confused conversation with their eyes, Signe looked to her eldest brother expectantly, hoping he would give her some kind of hint as to what awaited her. All Valborg did was offer a small smile and squeeze her shoulder as he walked past, then continued on without a word before sitting down at the end of the table.

As soon as a fire was crackling away, Oleg claimed the chair at the other end of the table and made himself comfortable. All eyes immediately turned to him in expectation as a heavy silence fell over the room, but nobody dared to speak, instead waiting respectfully for him to speak first.

"I wished to speak with all of you because there are important things to discuss regarding the summer raids," he finally started after a few moments. Signe felt the back of her neck heat up when his gaze found her and lingered for several seconds. "As I am sure you are all aware of, Earl Sigvard is having the ships prepared as we speak. They vill be ready to depart in a few weeks' time and then the raids vill be underway."

"Did Earl Sigvard say where we vill be going?" Hallsteinn interjected curiously, eyes filling with hope.

Signe knew what he wanted to hear – he wanted to hear that they would be going _west_, not to the same tired lands they had raided in the east so many times_. _Word had reached Hedeby the day before that week that Ragnar Lothbrok, King Horik – the king of Denmark – and several of their men had departed for England for the first time in four years nearly a fortnight ago. When Hallsteinn had heard, he'd expressed hope that the news would prod Earl Sigvard, who seemed to feel he was in some sort of competition with Earl Ragnar, into attempting a similar journey.

Unfortunately, that was not going to be the case. "The ships will be going east, just as they always do." Oleg's answer made Hallsteinn curse under his breath in disappointment and shift agitatedly in his chair, but he otherwise refrained from further expressing his disapproval.

"As we all know," Oleg continued, getting back to business, "I am no longer capable of handling all the duties on the farm alone, nor are there many able-bodied men available to hire for help once the raids have commenced. Which means I will be needing one of you to stay and help on the farm. However," Oleg said firmly, eyes turning to Valborg, "before anyone begins making suggestions as to who that should be, I believe Valborg has something to say about this matter."

Oleg then waved a hand at Valborg, motioning for him to take over the conversation. As all eyes slid to Valborg, he straightened up in his seat.

"None of you are unaware of the struggles Inge and I have faced in trying to have children," he started, earning himself a few nods of confirmation in return. "We have tried and tried, only to be disappointed time and again." He paused to sigh to himself. "I do feel that the Gods will finally reward us with a child with this pregnancy…" he admitted with a glance toward Signe, making her think back to their last conversation. Despite the multitude of feelings rushing through her at the moment, she managed to offer him an encouraging smile. "…but I vould be lying if I said I did not worry for Inge and the baby."

"We _all _worry for Inge and the baby, Valborg," Garik spoke up. "It was not only the two of you who felt the pain of the other losses – " he gestured toward everyone else at the table with a sweep of his hand. " – _we_ all felt that pain as well."

Garik's words pulled murmurs of agreement from everyone else at the table. Valborg inclined his head in understanding, looking solemn but also appreciative of the support he was receiving from his family.

"Then I hope you vill understand when I say that I do not think it fair of me to abandon my wife when the baby is so close to being born." Valborg hesitated for a moment, then finally came out with it. "That is why I have decided not to go on the raids this year," he revealed, much to the surprise of Garik, Gunnar, and Hallsteinn. "After all we have been through, I feel it is my duty to be here to take care of Inge and the baby. I even spoke to the Völva on this matter – she too thinks it the will of the Gods that I stay behind to help Inge during the birth."

"Of course, brother," Gunnar said with a firm nod once he had recovered from his momentary shock. "If you feel you must take care of your family, then take care of your family. We would never old such a thing against you," he said sincerely, making Garik nod his agreement.

"And you know already that I support your decision, Valborg," Signe said in addition to her brother's reassuring words. "You must do vhatever you feel is right."

Valborg seemed relieved with their responses and visibly relaxed. His eyes then flickered over to Hallsteinn in expectation, curious to know what their brother had to say, but Hallsteinn was now being very quiet. Though the expression on his face made it difficult to tell what he was thinking, it was still pretty clear from his lack of response that he was not taking the news well. Signe was not surprised – she had known Hallsteinn would not like hearing that his long-time raiding partner planned to stay behind, no matter the reason.

Valborg stared at Hallsteinn for a second longer, as did the rest of the family, before he sighed in resignation and continued on. "Since I will be staying behind," Valborg continued on, "I will be perfectly capable of helping father on the farm. Which brings us to our next order of business – Signe," he announced, turning a look on her.

Signe felt her heart lurch as everyone else looked to her too. Gunnar and Garik, who seemed to know where this conversation was headed, were already starting to smirk at her from across the table. Knowing the twins and how _mischievous_ they could be from time to time, though, it was difficult to decide whether she should take that as a good sign or not. Hallsteinn seemed to have forgotten his mood long enough to peer at her, curious in spite of himself about what Valborg might be suggesting. Oleg, however, merely listened on stoically, giving absolutely no hint as to what he might be thinking.

"I, for one, believe our sister is ready to see the world outside of Hedeby," Valborg continued. "She has trained in combat for a long while now and has grown into a strong fighter," he added, looking pointedly at his brothers and father, silently telling them with his eyes that they all knew he was speaking the truth. "I have no doubt she is more than capable of handling the raids and think she should be allowed to go this year."

Signe felt a strong rush of gratitude for her eldest brother and his vote of confidence. Feeling a bit less nervous and a smidge more encouraged, she smiled at Valborg gratefully before looking around at her other brothers with hopeful eyes – Signe hoped they too would share the same outlook as Valborg.

Oleg finally spoke up from his place at the head of the table. "What say you, Garik?" He asked, eyebrows stitched together in a look of concentration now. "Do you agree with Valborg?"

Garik glanced at Oleg then smirked at Signe again. "I suppose if she is good enough to beat _me_," he said cockily, making her own lips twitch into a smile, "then she shall have no problem fighting foreigners." Garik's eyes turned back to Oleg and he gave a firm nod. "I agree with Valborg. Signe is ready."

Signe nodded to him in appreciation, his approval making more of the tension ease from her shoulders. Everyone then turned their attention to Gunnar in expectation, waiting to hear his say on the matter now.

The smirk Gunnar sent her was identical to the one she'd received from his twin, leaving her to hope that his _opinion_ would be identical as well. "I agree with my brothers," he said resolutely. "Signe has waited quite long enough. It is time for her to go on the raids and become the shieldmaiden we all know she vill be," he added, shooting her a lopsided smile.

While their father nodded his understanding Signe smiled at Gunnar, feeling yet again as though another small weight had been lifted off of her. When Valborg had told her that he wanted her to go on the raids in his place, she had been reluctant to let herself believe it could actually happen, afraid to get her hopes up too high should their father decide she wasn't ready after all. But now, after hearing her brothers' positive reactions, she finally began to let herself hope that maybe, just _maybe_, it might be possible after all. If all of her brothers approved, then certainly her father would too, right?

"And you, Hallsteinn?" Oleg asked after a moment's pause, his one eye fixed on his second eldest now.

Everyone immediately looked to Hallsteinn, who glanced around at them before fixing his gaze on Signe. She couldn't help it when her hope faltered for one second, afraid that Hallsteinn's disappointment over Valborg might affect how he felt about Signe going in his place. But, to her relief, when Hallsteinn looked over at her he managed a half-smile that was barely visible through his beard and slowly nodded his head. He was still disappointed that Valborg was staying behind, she could see it in his eyes, but it was also clear that he liked the idea of her finally getting a chance to raid.

"It vould be an honor and a privilege to fight and raid with my sister by my side," he stated firmly.

With that, the attention quickly shifted back to Oleg. With his elbow leaning against the table, he raised his hand up to his chin and rubbed it pensively, gaze now focused on his only daughter. A palpable silence fell over the room for the next few seconds while Oleg considered the words of his sons. Signe's nervousness returned with a vengeance, making her heart beat harder with each silent second that went by. She had to remind herself to breathe as she waited as patiently as she could for her father to say something – _anything_.

"And what about _you_, Signe?" Oleg finally asked, catching her a bit by surprise.

For some reason, it had never occurred to her that her father would want to know if she thought _herself _ready. She had claimed that she was ready more than once over the past few years, but now, with the very real possibility of _actually_ going just barely out of her reach, she had to take a moment to really consider the question.

_Was _she ready to go on the raids? Was she as confident in her own skills as her brothers seemed to be? More importantly, was she ready for the fight that would undoubtedly greet them the moment they reached their destination? Signe had heard enough stories from her brothers to know that there was _always _fighting involved on the raids. And while it was one thing to train against her brothers, whom she knew would never intentionally harm her, fighting against an enemy who very much wanted to _kill _her was something entirely different. She had been training for this since the day she was strong enough to wield an axe and a shield – was she ready to finally put her skills to the test?

Signe thought about it a beat longer, then straightened up in her seat and turned determined eyes on her father. "I am ready, father," she said resolutely, staring at him unblinkingly so that he would see the truth in her eyes.

Oleg met and held her gaze, then slowly nodded his head. "Then it is decided," he stated, a note of finality in his tone. "Signe will go on the raids."

* * *

In light of Oleg's decision to let Signe raid with Garik, Gunnar, and Hallsteinn, her brothers decided that the night called for celebration. As soon as their meeting was adjourned, Gunnar and Garik wasted no time breaking into the ale and shoving horn-cups into everyone's hand, Signe included. Though Oleg usually had something disapproving to say if Signe drank too much, he said nothing in protest as afternoon turned into evening and her brothers continued to refill her cup. In fact, Oleg himself was indulging just as much ale as much as his children were, though Signe suspected by the look on his face that he was drinking for an entirely different reason.

Sometime after sundown, while Hallsteinn and Valborg were in the corner engrossed in a private, serious-looking conversation – probably discussing Valborg's decision man to man – Signe had let the twins rope her into a drinking game they'd made up. About halfway through the game, however, Oleg suddenly stood from his chair by the hearth and came to place a hand on her shoulder.

The laughter that had been on her lips immediately died off as she looked up to her father curiously. "Come vith me," he said, before heading in the direction of his bedroom.

Signe felt herself instantly sober up as she watched her father walk away. "Uh oh," Garik said once Oleg was out of earshot, smirking at Signe in a way that made her instantly feel uneasy. "Perhaps he has changed his mind," he teased before taking another drink of ale.

Signe knew that was not the case – her father had given his blessing and he was not the sort of man to go back on something like that – but Garik's words still left her with a bit of doubt. "He would not do that…would he?" She asked with uncertainty.

The twins shrugged in unison. "Better go find out before he _does _do so," Gunnar suggested, motioning toward their father's bedroom with his cup.

Signe nodded and quickly stood from the table. Leaving her drink behind, Signe smoothed out the skirt of her dress before hurrying in the direction her father had gone, ignoring the teasing remarks that Gunnar and Garik sent toward her back as she went.

When she walked into her father's bedroom Oleg was again lighting a fire, this time in the small hearth near the bed. He glanced at her over his shoulder when she walked in, then turned back to what he was doing. "Close the door," he instructed, firelight beginning to dance around the room as the flames in the hearth grew.

Signe obediently shut the door then took a few steps closer, clasping her hands together in front of her. "You vanted to speak with me?" She asked, trying to keep the nervousness she felt out of her voice, hoping and praying that he did not regret his decision and was not about to revoke his blessing.

Oleg was silent for a moment, continuing to poke and prod the fire until the flames were flickering big and bright. Just as Signe was starting to fear the worst, he spoke. "For an entire week before you were born," he said without facing her, slowly setting the poker down before staring into the flames, "you stopped kicking in your mother's belly. Then, when it came time for you to be born," he continued, "your mother was in labor with you for nearly three whole days. Your mother tried and tried, pushed and she pushed, but you did not want to come out and meet us. By the third morning, given how still you had been and how difficult the delivery was, we began to fear that we had lost you."

Oleg finally turned to face her. "But then, _finally_, you came into the world. You were a bit small, a little off color, and weak from the strain of the delivery, but you were _alive_." He paused, a faraway look entering his eye as he reflected on the memory of that day. "The midwife had concerns about your health, but said if you made it through the night that you vould live," he continued. "So while your mother recovered from the delivery, I stayed up with you all night long. I sat in a chair right here in front of this hearth, holding your small little body in my arms and praying to the Gods to let you live."

Signe had to press her lips together to hold back the emotion welling up within her as she listened to her father's story. Oleg also looked like he was starting to get a bit choked up, but he was not finished speaking yet. "It was a very _long _night," he admitted. "You hardly cried and hardly moved – you just laid in the crook of my arm and fought through the night. And when the sun rose the next morning and you were still breathing…" Oleg paused to smile at her. "I was so happy that all I could do was cry and thank the Gods over and over."

Oleg finally stepped toward her and placed his hand on her shoulder, his expression solemn and serious now. "I knew it then and I still know it now, Signe – you are a fighter, just as your mother was." He frowned for a moment, letting her see his worry. "I will fear for you because you are my daughter and I love you," Oleg admitted, "but I have no doubt that you vill do well on the raids and go on to do even greater things afterward." He then smiled sadly and moved his hand to gently smooth her hair. "It seems only yesterday that I held you in the crook of my elbow – now you have grown into a beautiful young woman and vill soon be a shieldmaiden." He paused to sigh to himself. "I am proud of you, beloved daughter," Oleg told her seriously. "And I know your mother would be proud, too."

Signe's throat was so tight with emotion that she couldn't bring herself to speak. So, instead, she simply wrapped her arms around her father's broad torso and hugged him as tightly as she could, silently trying to convey to him how much his words had meant to her. Oleg wrapped his arm around her shoulders and returned her hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before resting his chin there and releasing another heavy sigh.

"I have something for you," he said a few moments later, gently pulling away from her hug.

Signe released him and wiped at a few stray tears that had gone trekking down her cheeks while Oleg moved toward a large armoire on the other side of the room. A zing of awareness immediately shot down her spine when he pulled open the doors and she forgot about the emotional moment they had just shared. Signe and her brothers all knew exactly what he kept stored in that armoire…

His and their mother's old battle gear.

She found herself unconsciously moving closer, staring at her mother's old weaponry with awe once it was revealed. It had been a long time since she had last looked upon the shield and the deadly axe that her mother had once wielded in battle, so long that she had almost forgotten how much she admired the craftsmanship that had gone into them. The shield was made of strong wood and bordered in silver metal, built to withstand both the strongest of enemies and the test of time. The axe, Signe knew from experience, was heavy – it too was made of the same strong wood, with the handle growing thicker toward the battle-worn blade. Part of the handle came to a point about three inches down from the back of the blade, ideal for breaking bones of opponents according to her mother.

Signe could not resist running a captivated fingertip over the shield, eyes eager and hopeful as she turned her gaze up to her father in silent question. Oleg smiled and nodded, understanding what she was asking him. "Your mother would want you to have them," he told her. "They are yours now."

Signe smiled up at him happily and then reached into the armoire to retrieve the shield and axe. With the heavy shield on her left arm and the axe in the grasp of her right hand, she had never felt so empowered in her entire life. It suddenly felt as though all of her mother's strength and spirit had flowed out of her old weapons and into Signe's very veins, making her feel like she could take on any opponent – maybe even the entire _world_.

"Now you truly look the part of a shieldmaiden," Oleg commented proudly.

"Thank you, father," she said sincerely.

Oleg just smiled, leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, then nodded toward the door. "Go and return to your celebration," he instructed, his voice sounding a bit gruff with emotion again. "Your nosy brothers vill be wondering vhat we have been talking about, no doubt," he added, forcing on a smile.

Signe raised her eyebrows questioningly. "You will not join us?"

Oleg shook his head slowly. "No. I could use the solitude to…sort through my thoughts," he said gently.

Signe nodded, understanding that her father wanted to be alone, then turned to leave. When she reached the door, however, she paused and looked at her father over her shoulder. "I love you, father," she told him with a smile.

Oleg couldn't help returning the gesture. "I love you too, Signe."

And with one last smile, Signe pushed the door open and left the room, leaving her father to the solitude he sought.

* * *

Their little celebration lasted for a few more hours, ending when Valborg decided it was time to return home and when the twins had drunk so much that they were on the verge of passing out. With the help of her eldest brothers Signe managed to get the two intoxicated fools into their beds, where they promptly fell asleep and began snoring loud enough to wake the dead.

With the twins taken care of Valborg and Hallsteinn decided to take their leave, but not before promising Signe that the next few weeks would be spent training with them and preparing for the raids – she could tell already just by the look in their eyes that this training was going to be much more difficult than anything they'd put her through in the past. All she could do was hope that they wouldn't go _too _rough on her and that she wouldn't be too battered up when it came time to leave.

Now that the house was quiet and the hour had grown late, Signe had retreated into her room. Once again she was having difficulty falling asleep, only this time it was because she was simply too excited by the day's events to settle down. Instead, she sat in bed and absentmindedly combed the tangles out of her long, auburn hair, humming a tune under her breath and smiling serenely to herself as she stared at the shield and axe propped against the wall opposite of her bed. She could already imagine the battles she would fight wielding that shield and striking with that axe, knowing that each time she touched them it would feel as though she had a little piece of her mother with her – as though her mother was watching over her and protecting her.

A sudden tap on the shutters covering her window broke the silence of the room and startled her. For a split second she was reminded of what had happened two nights ago and felt her heart lurch, thinking it was the seeress coming to visit her again. But when another tap sounded, this time accompanied by a familiar voice hissing her name, she knew that was not the case.

Instantly letting out a heavy sigh of relief, Signe scrambled out of bed and went to the window. When she pulled open the shutters, she was immediately met with the sight of Bjorn standing there, illuminated only by the moonlight overhead and the candlelight filtering through her window. "What are you doing here?" Signe hissed, glancing around uncertainly. "Do you know how late it is?"

Bjorn frowned, his expression apologetic but his body language plainly stating that he was upset. "I am sorry for the late visit, but…" he trailed off and shook his head. "I could not stay in that man's house tonight," he spat out after a moment, eyes flashing with anger. Signe knew in an instant that something had happened between Bjorn and Earl Sigvard. "I had to get away," Bjorn continued, shaking his head, "and this was the only place I could think of to go."

Signe stared at him for a moment, then sighed and nodded. She didn't know what had happened, but obviously it had been bad if it had been enough to have Bjorn knocking on her window this late in the evening. "Go to the door, I will let you in and then we vill talk," she instructed.

Bjorn nodded and then started for the front of the house. Signe watched him go for a quick moment before closing the shutters and leaving her bedroom to go meet him – she grabbed a cloak on the way out and pulled it around her shoulders, mindful of the fact that she was only wearing a shift.

She tiptoed to the front door as quietly as a mouse would, knowing how bad it might look if her father or brothers woke only to find her scantily dressed and in the company of a man who was not of the family this late in the night. Taking comfort in the snores she heard emanating from their rooms, she crept to the door and opened it. Bjorn, who had been patiently waiting for her, stepped inside as Signe waved him in.

"Come and sit," she said quietly after she had shut the door, motioning him to follow her to the hearth.

The fire had died considerably by now, but a few pokes made a small flame come back to life. As Bjorn sat in one of the chairs that they'd pulled over from the table, Signe grabbed the abandoned jug of ale and poured some into a cup for him. He nodded gratefully when she offered it and gladly accepted, knocking back some of it instantly. When he lowered the cup and swallowed his gulp, she could see the anger creeping back into his blue eyes.

"What happened?" She asked carefully, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself for warmth. "What did he do?"

Bjorn scowled and shook his head, eyes turned angrily to the fire in front of them. "He humiliated me tonight," he growled, hand tightening around his horn cup. "I finally asked to go to the mountains and, of course, he refused. But that is not the worst of it by far," Bjorn said harshly, looking to Signe again with hate in his eyes. "That _bastard _has been hitting my mother!" He whispered furiously.

Signe sat straighter at hearing that and felt her jaw drop in surprise. Earl Sigvard hitting _Lagertha_? "What?" She asked, dumfounded. "For how long?"

"I do not know," Bjorn huffed with a shake of his head. "But when I was returning home this afternoon, I saw him strike her with my own two eyes. And I get the feeling it vas _not _the first time."

Now Signe would not claim to be friends with Bjorn's mother, but after four years of friendship with Bjorn, she knew her well enough by now to find it surprising that the famous shieldmaiden would tolerate such treatment. Lagertha was a warrior, she had fought in battles, she had sailed west – she was the former wife of the great Ragnar Lothbrok. She simply did not come off as the sort of woman that would allow a man to beat her and still live to tell the tale.

"Will she do something to stop it?" Signe asked, eyebrows furrowing together with concern.

Bjorn sighed and shrugged. "She said she vould not let it happen again, but…" He shook his head as he trailed off. "I do not know if she will be able to stop him alone."

Signe thought about that for a moment, then pressed her lips together tightly as a thought struck her. "If she cannot stop it, will you?" She asked bluntly, knowing Bjorn well and knowing what the glint in his eyes meant. She'd seen that same look in her brothers' eyes before, whenever men pushed their boundaries with Signe and they took it upon themselves to make sure said men knew such behavior would only wind up getting them seriously injured.

Bjorn's gaze was a bit challenging as it met hers again. "Yes, I will," he confirmed boldly, not backing down an inch. "I have already told her – if he ever does it again, I_ will _kill him."

That was exactly what she _didn't _want to hear. Bjorn was fiercely protective of his mother, so Signe did not doubt that he would be capable of killing any man who harmed her, regardless if it was the Earl or not. "And vhat would your father have to say about that?" Signe countered, raising her eyebrows.

Bjorn smirked. "Nothing," he answered matter-of-factly. "He would be too busy holding the bastard down while I slammed my axe into his gut."

Signe started to argue against his statement, but hesitated when she realized he was probably right. Bjorn's parents might not be together anymore, but Bjorn had told her once before that he believed they still loved each other in a way. If Ragnar were to hear how Earl Sigvard had been treating his ex-wife and son, he probably would have killed the man _himself_.

Signe sighed and ran a hand through her long hair, her good mood dampening some in light of their troubling conversation. "Bjorn, I understand this upsets you, but just…promise me you will not anything rash," she begged, pleading him with her eyes to think rationally. "Lagertha is a strong woman and can take care of herself – she will handle the Earl in her own way. Besides, I do not think she would want _his_ blood on _your_ hands."

Bjorn smiled sardonically in return. "Which is why I am _here_ tonight and not there," he told her. "So his blood will remain in his body." Signe sighed and nodded her understanding, knowing that was probably the best she would get from Bjorn tonight as far as him promising not to do anything to Earl Sigvard went.

They fell into a lapse of silence for a few seconds, both staring at the small fire crackling away in the hearth. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bjorn lift the horn cup up to his mouth for another drink before he cleared his throat. "I am sorry to come here and ruin your mood," he apologized, sounding less hostile now. Signe glanced over at him and saw that his eyes were apologetic again. "I saw you celebrating with your brothers earlier. It must have been a good night until I came along," he said, smiling ruefully.

Signe's eyebrows came together. "Exactly how long have you been outside?" She asked incredulously.

Bjorn looked a bit sheepish now. "A few hours," he admitted, making her eyes widen. "I did not want to bother you with my troubles while you were with your brothers," he explained himself quickly. "You all looked happy and I did not vant to ruin it. I waited until I vas sure everyone else was asleep before coming to you."

Signe clicked her tongue and shook her head. She felt bad that Bjorn had sat by himself in the dark for so long, feeling angry and upset and having no one to talk to, all the while having to listen to them laugh and carry on inside as they celebrated. "You could have come inside," she told him with a sigh, "nobody would have minded."

Bjorn shrugged as if saying there was nothing to be done about it now, then raised a brow at her. "So…" he said slowly, a hint of wariness entering his gaze, "what vas the celebration for?"

Signe sighed and pressed her lips together for a moment, tensing with the question. "I think you already know," she said quietly, meeting his gaze head on.

Bjorn did not seem surprised in the slightest. "You are going on the raids," he stated neutrally. When she nodded in confirmation, he sucked in a deep breath and released it heavily. "I am happy for you," he said, managing a half-hearted smile. "No doubt you vill have great success."

"Thank you," Signe said, even though she could tell that Bjorn was anything _but _happy at the moment. He looked more disheartened than she'd even seen before, his already bad day probably only getting worse now that he knew she would for sure be leaving. "Things will get better, Bjorn," she said reassuringly.

Bjorn laughed bitterly. "My mother is getting beat on by her bastard of a husband, my _step _-father is determined to make my life miserable, and now you vill be leaving me behind," he said slowly, his tone sounding more and more discouraged with each word. "I appreciate your words, but I do not see things getting better any time soon."

"Earl Sigvard will get what is coming to him – the Gods will see to that," Signe told him, hoping it would make him feel better. "And I will not be gone long," she then reminded him, before smiling jokingly. "In fact, I will be back so fast you will hardly notice I was gone in the first place," Signe said with a flippant wave of her hand. "You will not even miss me."

Bjorn stared at her for a second, his expression never losing its seriousness. "I _will_ notice," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "And I _will_ miss you. More than you know."

The intensity in his gaze and in his tone caught her off guard, rendering her speechless. She could only stare back at him in stunned silence, unable to turn her eyes away as his gaze continued to bore into hers. Bjorn had that expression on his face again, the one that made her heart beat harder and her nerves jump to life – the one that made her think Valborg _was _wrong, and that there might be hope for more than just friendship between her and Bjorn after all.

Suddenly Bjorn's face was much closer to hers, though whether it was because she had leaned in, Bjorn had, or they _both _had, Signe wasn't entirely sure. All she knew as Bjorn's eyes flickered down to her lips was that it felt like she was being drawn to him by some invisible force, powerless to resist it and eager to see what might come of it.

The fire crackling loudly suddenly startled them, making them both jump in surprise. It was only a small interference, but it was enough to make Bjorn blink and move back away from her again, looking a little bit red around the ears. Just like that, the spell that had fallen over them was broken.

"I have kept you up long enough," Bjorn said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "You should get some sleep," he suggested gently.

Signe hesitated, then nodded and slowly stood to her feet, disappointed but trying valiantly to hide it. She quickly turned her back on him so her expression wouldn't betray anything she was feeling, then went to a little cupboard on the other side of the room to grab a few blankets for him to sleep on. Once she had reign in her disappointment and felt confident enough to face him again, she went to hand the blankets to Bjorn.

"Sleep in here tonight," she said, offering the items to him. "There is plenty of room."

Bjorn hesitated, then reached out to take the blankets. With an uncertain glance toward Oleg's door, he quirked a brow and asked, "You vill not get in trouble?"

"So long as you sleep out here and not in _my _room, it vill be fine," Signe reassured him with a smile.

It was enough to convince Bjorn, because he nodded and then stood from his chair so he could start making his bed for the night right there next to the hearth. Signe watched him for a moment, heart still beating faster than usual, then turned to head for her bedroom. "Goodnight, Bjorn," she said as she left. "I vill see you in the morning."

"Goodnight," he said in response. She could feel his eyes on her back as she crossed the room, but didn't look back. "Signe?" He said just as she reached her door, making her pause.

Holding her breath, Signe turned to face him and raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

He paused for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you. For listening, for allowing me to stay here – for everything," he said sincerely, looking genuinely grateful. "And I know it may not seem that way, but I truly am happy for you," he added.

In spite of her melancholy over what had just _not _happened between them, Signe returned his smile. "I know…and you are welcome. I am always here for you, Bjorn," she reassured him firmly. "No matter what."

Bjorn nodded at her. "I know," he echoed, eyes filled with appreciation.

They stared at each other for one more moment, before Signe finally turned and headed into her bedroom. She hesitated for a second once inside and turned to wave a hand, silently telling him goodnight one more time. After Bjorn returned the gesture, Signe finally shut the door.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	5. Chapter Four

**I really hope I'm not losing you guys already, because we're about to get to the good stuff here in the next few chapters! Thanks to those who have added this to your alert/favorite list and especially to those who review. Don't be shy – feedback is what motivates us writers!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Vikings.**

**P.S. No Torstein yet, but the chances that he will be in the next chapter are very, very, very good.**

* * *

_Chapter Four_

The next two and a half weeks seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

Because Signe and her brothers would be away from the farm for a while, whatever time they still had in Hedeby was spent working twice as hard around the house to ensure everything was as in order as possible before they left. Her brothers worked in the fields on most days while Signe tended to the chores inside – a considerable amount of time was spent tackling the pile of laundry that had steadily accumulated and making repairs to her father's and brothers' clothing, knowing these were thing that probably wouldn't get done while she was away.

Any time _not_ dedicated to chores was spent training with her brothers. True to their word, Valborg and Hallsteinn had made it their personal mission to make sure she was absolutely – _unquestionably_ – ready for what lied ahead. They had come nearly every day to train with her, and though they had been tough instructors in the past, now they were doubly so.

Though they had always held back in the past so as not to harm her, now, with her first true fight looming on the not-so-distant horizon, her eldest brothers had stopped restraining themselves and fought with their full strength whenever she sparred with them; to give her some idea of what she would soon be facing, they had claimed. Valborg and Hallsteinn charged her as they would their greatest nemesis, swung their weapons with more power than she knew they possessed, threw all of their best moves against her as if they truly wanted to kill her – and it had entered her mind once or twice that maybe they really _did _want to, because that was certainly what it was starting to feel like.

Her brothers sparred with her endlessly, made her do countless muscle-building exercises, practiced different shield-wall techniques with her, even forced her to fight them in hand-to-hand combat in the event that she found herself fighting without a weapon – there were even a few times when they called in Garik and Gunnar and made her defend herself against all _four _of them at once. All the while they constantly yelled things like, "_Men will not go easy on you just because you are a woman!" _or "_I have seen plenty of shieldmaidens die gruesome, painful deaths! You must fight for your life or someone else will take it!". _With each training session they pushed her to her absolute limit, only calling it a day when Signe felt like she would collapse and that every muscle in her body would burst from pain.

By now, she had lost count of how many bruises, welts, scrapes, and scratches she had accumulated because of the two. And that _wasn't _including the damage that had been done to her _ego_.

Yet, in spite of all the blood, sweat, and tears she'd shed over the course of the past few weeks, Signe did have to admit that she was starting to see a noticeable difference in herself. She had always thought herself a good fighter, but with nearly three weeks of the tough training under her belt, her attacks were stronger, sharper, more deliberate, and more accurate than they ever had been before. When Valborg slammed his shield into hers, she no longer trembled underneath the force – now when Signe's axe connected with Hallsteinn's shield his defenses faltered a bit, whereas before the strike had barely affected him. It might have been a very painful process, but it was worth it to see the improvements in her skill.

Between the never-ending chores and the arduous, time consuming training, the days all seemed to melt and mold into one giant blur. That was why when she woke one unusually sunny morning, she was surprised to realize that she and her brothers would be leaving on the boats to the east in less than a week.

Signe cringed as she sat up in bed and then slowly put her feet on the floor, most of her body aching in protest after yet another grueling session the day before. Her muscles had started acclimating to the training by now, so the ache wasn't as bad today as it had been the past few weeks, but she still hissed as she stood, grimacing when the movement aggravated a few particularly tender spots. She did a few stretches to try to ease some of the soreness, wincing painfully at first but then sighing in relief when some of the tension in her body eased. Once she felt a bit less stiff, Signe went to splash her face in the basin before getting dressed for the day.

Valborg and Hallsteinn turned up around noon, while Signe had been busying herself washing one of the large bed covers for Oleg's bed. She thought they would tell her to put on some trousers and grab her gear, but luckily for her – and her battered body – they said she had improved enough for them to take a day off and suggested the go into town to purchase necessities she'd need on the trip. Signe, relieved they did not want to train and that her abused muscles would catch a break, readily agreed. They extended the invitation to the twins, who were more than happy for an excuse to get out of the fields, and then they were soon on their way.

They did not live very far outside of the village, so it only took them about a half hour (by horseback) to reach town. As usual, the village was crowded and busy with people going about daily life, hurrying here and there as they toted sacks, carried boxes, or lugged things down the road on horse-drawn carts. When the streets became too thick with people to continue on by horse, Signe and her brothers dismounted and led their horses down the road by the reigns instead, tethering them up to a post once they were close to the market.

Signe decided that since she was in town, it would be wrong if she did not go to say hello to Bjorn and his mother. In truth, she actually hadn't had very much opportunity to see her best friend over the past few weeks, which was unusual – normally Signe and Bjorn found a way to spend time together nearly every single day, but they had only been able to see one another a few times since the night he'd stayed over. Her life had just become so consumed with preparations for the raids that she simply had not had the time to see him.

At least, Signe _hoped _that was why she had not seen much of Bjorn recently.

Neither of them had dared to bring up their near kiss that night he'd visited so late – it was almost as though they had come to some sort of silent, mutual agreement not to talk to about it, to pretend as though it had never happened. But just because the subject had been avoided, that did not mean Signe did not worry it might be the _real _reason Bjorn had not been around much. Nothing _seemed_ amiss between them whenever they were together and Bjorn was not treating her differently, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not seem to quiet the nagging, paranoid voice in her head trying to convince her that he regretted what had happened and had stopped coming around because of it.

Signe did her best to push that thought away. The whole thing was a little awkward, but the fact still remained that Bjorn was a very straightforward person. Like Valborg, he too had the tendency to be brutally honest and did not shy away from speaking his mind – in short, he was not the sort of man to tuck tail and run just because he had _almost_ kissed his best friend. If he'd had a problem with what had (almost) happened, he would have confronted the issue head on.

Things between them were perfectly fine, she told herself, they had both just been _busy._

"You all go to the market and shop," Signe suggested, taking a step in the opposite direction of where her brothers were going. "There is something I wish to do."

Garik and Gunnar nodded disinterestedly and went hurrying off, eager to see what awaited in the market. Valborg and Hallsteinn, however, both paused and frowned, either because they were confused as to what else she wanted to do or because they were uncomfortable with the idea of her walking around Hedeby alone. "Relax, I am just going to pay a quick visit to Bjorn," she reassured them hastily. "I will not be gone long."

Valborg seemed to accept her reason for going off, but Hallsteinn immediately rolled his eyes and scoffed. "As long as you do not plan to _stay the night…_" He quipped, making her cheeks flush.

She could tell that he was only being half serious, but the comment still grated her nerves. Hallsteinn, unsurprisingly, had not been very pleased when he learned that Bjorn had spent the night under the same roof as Signe and had been making a fuss about it ever since. No matter what she said, he seemed _convinced _that the two of them were up to something behind everyone's back. Bjorn visiting her so late in the night, according to Hallsteinn, was proof enough.

"By the Gods, Hallsteinn, would you stop?" Signe asked in exasperation, having reached her wit's end. "For the final time – _nothing happened_," she stated, her voice filled with authority and leaving no room for argument. "And even if something _had_, it would be nobody's business but ours!Now put it to rest!"

And with one last annoyed glare at Hallsteinn, she turned on her heel and stalked off before either had a chance to respond, leaving Valborg and Hallsteinn to watch her go before sharing a look of slight surprise.

Signe cursed her idiotic brother under her breath as she started making her way toward Earl Sigvard's hall.

She loved Hallsteinn, she truly did. He was her brother – her flesh and _blood_ – and she would do absolutely anything for him. She would _kill _for him if she had to. But sometimes, in moments like these, he was so insufferable that Signe just wanted to _hit _him.

Her father worried she would never marry, but how exactly did anyone in her family expect her to find a husband when Hallsteinn practically threatened to kill any man that looked at her? It was intimidating enough for any man knowing she had not one, but _four_ large brothers who knew their way around deadly weapons and were more than happy to punish anyone that wronged her – Hallsteinn's over-protectiveness, combined with his short fuse, only made matters worse. Didn't he understand that she was a _grown woman _now? Didn't he realized that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and making her own decisions?

She huffed to herself as she trudged along, deciding that the next time someone tried to express concerns over her imminent spinsterhood that she'd immediately point them in Hallsteinn's direction. Let _him _explain to their father why Signe was nearing twenty and still unmarried for a change.

She was finally pulled out of her annoyed fretting when was suddenly hit with the feeling of being watched. Signe slowed to a stop and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, an eeriness that felt just a little bit too familiar creeping over her. She looked around, trying to find the source of this odd feeling, then had to do a double take when her eyes flitted over a dark shape in the distance.

It was the Völva, dressed in black and tattooed from nearly head to toe. The woman was standing outside her hut, her long, dark hair and the dark skirts of her dress blowing with the gentle breeze and swirling all around her. And though they were separated by carts and people and several feet of space, Signe knew that the Völva was staring directly at _her_.

All Signe could do was stare back, unsure what she should do. There had been no more strange incidents since that first one, but there were still plenty of unanswered questions in her mind that she felt deserved answering. She had done her best to avoid sitting down with the woman again for a very long while out of wariness…but looking at her now, Signe was starting to think that maybe the time had come to stop being a coward and speak with the mystical seeress again.

"Hello, Signe," a voice suddenly sounded in her ear.

Signe jumped in surprise and immediately turned her eyes away from the Völva's, only to find herself peering into the blue-eyed gaze of Bjorn's mother, Lagertha.

It shouldn't have been the first thing that came to mind upon seeing the beautiful shieldmaiden, but Signe's thoughts immediately turned back to the night Bjorn had stayed over and she couldn't help but remember what he had said about the Earl beating on his mother. She wondered briefly if it was still happening and discreetly looked for any marks or bruises. If it was, there was no evidence of it anywhere – not on the woman's face, nor in her demeanor.

"Lady Lagertha," Signe finally said, recovering from her surprise enough to remember her manners. She offered a respectful nod of her head, suddenly very glad she'd decided to wear one of her better dresses for this outing so that she did not look _too _frumpy in front of her. "Good afternoon. I hope you are well?"

"Very well, thank you," Lagertha said with a pleasant smile. "What brings you to town today?"

"My brothers and I are here purchasing some supplies we will need when we go on the raids," Signe explained, gesturing in the general direction that she had left her brothers in. "I was just on my way to your home to say hello to Bjorn while we were here."

"Well, I am sorry to inform you that Bjorn is actually not home at the moment," Lagertha told her regretfully, making Signe frown a bit. "He went for a ride a few hours ago and has yet to return," she then explained.

"I see," Signe said, her disappointment obvious in her tone.

"Bjorn told me you were joining the raids this summer," Lagertha continued, moving on with the conversation. Signe shoved her disappointment away and gave her a small smile, nodding in confirmation. "Congratulations," Lagertha said, smiling again. "You must be very excited."

"Thank you," Signe said politely, before scrunching her nose up a bit. "And yes, I _am _excited... but I am nervous as well," she admitted. "The raids are dangerous, and the knowledge of that does make it somewhat…" Signe paused to think of the right word, "_daunting_," she finished.

Lagertha nodded her understanding. "I understand why you would be nervous. The first raid is an important time in every young warrior's life – it is when you truly begin to learn about yourself and about the _world_," she told Signe with raised brows. "It is perfectly normal to feel daunted – I too was rather intimidated the first time I raided." Lagertha then admitted. "But from what I hear, you have become a strong, formidable fighter – and with the blood of warriors running through your veins and your four warrior brothers to teach you, I have no doubt it is the truth," Lagertha told her with an encouraging smile. "I am certain you have nothing to fear, Signe."

To hear such words coming from a woman like Lagertha still made Signe's confidence soar. Lagertha was a renowned shieldmaiden, made famous by her skills in battle. She was also someone that Signe greatly admired and tried to model herself after – having the woman's approval meant a great deal to her. "Thank you for your kind words, Lady Lagertha, they have given me great confidence," she said sincerely, inclining her head respectfully. "My skills will never compare to _yours_, of course," she added with a humble smile, "but I can always strive to _try _to be as fearsome a fighter as you."

Lagertha grinned, obviously flattered by Signe's compliment, then shrugged a slim a shoulder. "Well, perhaps when you return from the raids you and _I_ should spar together," she suggested, making Signe's eyes immediately bug. Her? Spar with _Lagertha_? Signe thought she might be sick. "Only then will we truly see how your skills compare to mine."

Signe struggled to get a response out for a moment, but soon nodded her head. "Al-alright," she stammered out in agreement, still a bit dumbfounded by the fact that Lagertha, who probably had much better things to do with her time than spending it sparring with her son's best friend, would suggest such a thing.

Lagertha nodded and smiled as though sealing the deal. "It is agreed then," she said firmly, leaving Signe no chance to say otherwise. "I should be going now," Lagertha then said to excuse herself from the conversation, undoubtedly needing to return to some important business somewhere. "But I wish you the best of luck on the raids and will pray to the Gods for yours and your brothers' safe return."

"Thank you, my lady," Signe said, bowing her head.

Lagertha smiled, returned Signe's respectful nod, then turned to leave. "Oh," she said, pausing a few feet away so she could turn back to Signe, "I will tell Bjorn that you came to see him the moment he returns." After Signe nodded and thanked her again, Lagertha continued on.

Now that Lagertha was gone and Signe was alone again, her gaze almost immediately drifted back over to where she had seen the seeress. The space that she had been occupying in front of her hut was now vacant and the woman was no longer in sight. Her front door, however, was wide open and gave Signe a good view of the inside – even from where she stood she could see the seeress moving about in her home.

It was all too obvious that the open door was an invitation, and Signe knew then that the Völva was expecting her. She weighed her options for another moment longer, then finally came to a decision. Signe decided that it was time she stop acting like a scared little child, be the grown woman that she was, and sit down with the seeress again. There were answers that she wanted – answers that she was _owed_ – and by the Gods, she was going to get them.

_Today_.

* * *

The hut looked just as she remembered it, the only difference being that it seemed a bit on the small side now that she was older and taller. It was still dark and smoky and smelled of incense. There were still odd trinkets still hung from the ceilings, though the Völva had accumulated more of them over the years. Jars and vials full of all sorts of different things, ranging from plants to dark liquids to something that looked very much like an animal heart, still lined a table on the left side of the room. It was all very familiar, so much so that she felt as though she may have stepped backward through time.

The Völva herself was sitting in a chair at a small table on the right. She looked thoroughly unsurprised to see Signe, which confirmed her suspicions that the woman had been expecting her to visit. "Close the door behind you," she instructed, her voice the slightest bit raspy now with the passing of time.

Signe stared at her for a moment, then did as she was told. Once the door was shut, Signe turned and slowly walked to the table the seeress was sitting at. When the seeress motioned to the open chair directly opposite of hers Signe immediately sat down, eyes trained on the Völva the entire time. She couldn't help the slight feeling of apprehension that formed in the pit of her stomach as she eyed the seeress, searching her expression for any clues or hints as to why she continued to seek Signe out. The seeress' expression was calm though – _serene _almost – and gave nothing away.

"Hello, Signe," the seeress finally said once Signe was sitting comfortably. "Much time has passed since last we spoke."

"On the contrary," Signe said slowly, her calm tone contradicting the nervousness in her belly, "it has not been long at all," she corrected her, thinking back to the incident with the seeress in the middle of the night. "It has only been a mere few weeks since you last spoke to me."

The seeress smiled slowly in response, though it was difficult to tell what the emotion behind it was. "I see you have grown bolder with time," she said, choosing to ignore Signe's pointed reminder of the strange visit. "Gone is the nervous little girl – in her place sits a confident young woman," she mused aloud, sounding as though she were talking more to herself than to Signe.

She wasn't about to let the Völva change the subject that easily though. Signe might have spent the past few weeks dreading this very encounter, but now that she was finally here and finally had the woman in front of her, she _was _going to get the answers she wanted. "Why did you come to me that night?" She pressed demandingly, expression set in a serious frown. "Why come just to tell me the same thing after all these years? What does it mean?"

The woman's almost teasing smile finally disappeared when she saw how the determination in Signe's eyes. Her expression turned more businesslike as she leaned back in her chair and pressed the tips of her fingers together, dark eyes calculating as she studied the younger woman sitting across from her. Finally, after a few silent beats, she spoke.

"What do _you _think it means?"

Signe immediately felt frustrated, but did her best to hide it from the Völva – if she had _known _what it meant then she wouldn't have asked in the first place, now would she? Signe had half a mind to tell the seeress just that, but thought better of it in the end. Instead, she sighed to herself and thought the question over for a moment, thinking back to that night yet again and mulling over the different possible reasons for it.

"I feel as though it might have been…a warning," Signe finally said after a few moments, keeping her eyes trained on the seeress for any sort of reaction on the woman's part. "Or perhaps a reminder," she added, the uncertainty of her tone almost making it sound more like a question than a statement.

The woman's expression did not change in the slightest. "Warning and reminding you of what?" The seeress countered evenly.

Signe hesitated again. "That I have not yet started down the path you told me of so many years ago," she answered slowly. "And that something might soon happen to…change that."

When the seeress smiled slightly, Signe knew she had guessed correctly. It made her stomach lurch, though whether it was from excitement or apprehension, she wasn't entirely sure. "Yes," the Völva confirmed, "things _will _change, Signe. Very soon."

Signe nodded, positive she knew what the woman was referring to. The Völva had said she would become a shieldmaiden and fight alongside her brothers, which was exactly what would happen when they left for the raids in only a matter of days. It had to be connected to this in some way. "I will be going on the raids soon," she told the seeress, "is that what you are speaking of?"

The Völva surprised her by laughing in response. "Oh no, young Signe," she said with a shake of her head, making Signe frown back at her doubtfully. "You will raid someday, but not now and not for Earl Sigvard," the seeress proceeded to reveal. "It is not to the east in which your destiny awaits you. It is…somewhere else."

Signe's eyebrows came together in complete confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked in bewilderment, her mind now racing with questions. What could happen in the next few days to suddenly change her plans to raid? If she was not going to raid for Earl Sigvard, who _would_ she raid for? And if she was not supposed to go east, then where exactly _was _she supposed to go?

"When the son returns to the father, that is when your journey shall begin," the Völva said simply.

There was that _damned_ phrase again. Signe scowled at hearing it and felt some of her patience slip. "You keep telling me that, yet will not tell me the meaning of it," she all but snapped, letting the seeress see just how much it was starting to frustrate her.

"Because you do not _need _me to tell you the meaning of it," the Völva countered pointedly, making Signe immediately clamp her lips together. "You know already, Signe," she stated matter-of-factly, eyes intent and unblinking as they stared at her. "You knew it the moment you found out who he was."

Signe said nothing as she weighed the woman's words. Since the day she first spoke to the seeress, there was only one person she had met whom she thought could be the one the Völva kept referring to. She had suspected him for a long while, but had never let herself fully believe it was the truth.

"Bjorn," Signe finally said. When the seeress nodded, she felt a strange sensation in her belly. "He will go back to Earl Ragnar then," she said slowly, realization dawning.

"Yes," the seeress confirmed again. "It has always been the Gods' plan that Bjorn Ragnarsson return to his father," she revealed. "He is destined for many great things, none of which will come to pass unless he is reunited with Ragnar Lothbrok." The seeress paused and her eyes seemed glaze over for a moment, as though she were seeing something that Signe could not. "His father will need help and Bjorn will answer the call," she continued, looking her normal self again. "Once the matter is resolved, it is with Ragnar in Kattegat that he shall remain."

The news that Bjorn would leave Hedeby – for _good _– made Signe feel as though her heart had fallen into the pit of her stomach. In a way, she had expected that this would happen at one point or another – after all, Kattegat was his _home _and Bjorn still loved his father, no matter how angry he had been at the man for being unfaithful to Lagertha. But still, the thought of not seeing him every day, of not being able to talk to him whenever she wanted, of him living so very far away made a distinctly hollow feeling encompass her chest.

But before she could become too caught up in grieving over the imminent departure of her best friend, a thought struck Signe. The seeress had said that her own journey would start when Bjorn was reunited with his father – if her destiny was so dependent on this taking place, did that mean she was supposed to go _with _Bjorn when he left? In a way it made sense, especially when taking into consideration what the Völva had said about her not being destined to go east in the name of Earl Sigvard. That could only mean that she was destined to raid elsewhere, and the only 'elsewhere' she currently knew of was west – and as it was, one of the only Earls sending men to that part of the world was Ragnar Lothbrok.

The seeress must have been able to tell which direction Signe's thoughts had gone because she suddenly smirked a bit, the gleam in her eyes rather knowing. "Tell me what you are thinking," she urged.

The sound of the seeress' voice made Signe blink and emerge from her own thoughts. Giving a quick shake of her head to clear her mind, she focused on the seeress again. "If the Gods do not want me to raid east, is it because they wish me to join Bjorn when he leaves?"

The Völva nodded once, looking – if Signe dared to believe it – a smidge impressed that Signe had come to this conclusion. "Yes. Bjorn will have help on his path to greatness, and _you_ are one of those who will help him." Signe felt a small moment of relief to know that she and Bjorn would not be separated just yet. "There will be much for you to…_discover_…in Kattegat," the seeress continued, saying this in such a way that it sparked Signe's interest. The woman paused for a moment then tilted her head, eyes scrutinizing. "The road you are about to walk will be a most enlightening one."

The seeress might have been fairly forthcoming with her so far, but the way she had said that last sentence led Signe to believe that she knew a lot more than what she was revealing. She thought about asking her to elaborate, but then decided not to bother – she could tell just by the look on the woman's face that she had no plans of elaborating any further than that.

"I have told you many things today, Signe," the seeress stated, breaking the momentary silence that had passed, "perhaps even more than the Gods would have liked." The woman paused for a moment as though listening for something. "You may ask only one more question," she finally concluded, "and then I am to tell you no more."

Signe took a moment to think about everything the Völva had already told her – she had gotten all of the answers she had come for and had discovered that she would _not _be raiding east, as had been the original plan. Instead, she had learned that it was the will of the Gods that she go to Kattegat with Bjorn to – evidently – discover her destiny. Signe was hard-pressed to think of anything else that needed to be addressed and mulled over it for a few moments. Finally, something popped into her mind.

"There _is_ one more matter I wish to ask you about," Signe admitted, already feeling silly and trying to ignore the blood rushing to her cheeks because of it.

"Go on," the seeress prompted, waving a slender, tattooed hand.

Signe pressed her lips together for a moment. "You said that I would fall in love with and marry a great warrior," she reminded her, hoping the seeress wouldn't think her foolish for even asking about this. "When exactly will this marriage happen?

The Völva was quiet for a moment or two, the stoic expression on her face maddeningly impenetrable and giving away none of her inner thoughts. "Soon," she finally answered, taking Signe a bit by surprise. "Much sooner than you might have anticipated, as a matter of fact."

The woman had said she could only have one more question, but Signe still opened her mouth to ask more, rather shocked by this news and needing more of an explanation than had been given. Before she could get her burning questions out, however, the Völva held a hand up to silence her. "The Gods do not wish me to say any more," she said firmly. Signe internally cursed herself, scolding herself for not using her last question wisely enough.

The Völva, much like she had done the first time they spoke like this, suddenly extended her hand toward Signe palm up, clearly expecting the same 'payment' she had received last time. "Go home and begin making preparations," she instructed, palm still hovering in the air. "You will not have much more time to do so."

It was with great difficulty that she managed to keep quiet and not press the issue, thinking it wiser in spite of her curiosity if she didn't disrespect the Völva or the Gods. Instead, she leaned forward to obediently lick the woman's palm before standing from her seat and bowing her head respectfully as a means of farewell.

Signe did not expect the seeress to say anything more as she turned and headed for the door, but just as she started to push it open and step outside, the seerees' voice stopped her. "Signe?"

She paused and looked at the Völva over her shoulder, a bit surprised and more than a little bit curious as to why the woman had stopped her. "Yes?"

The Völva paused, then smiled serenely. "Trust the Gods."

Signe wasn't sure why, but something about the Völva's last piece of advice felt a little foreboding. "I alvays do," she told the seeress, wondering if she should be feeling a little disconcerted or not.

The seeress' smile grew for a moment. "Good."

The Völva then motioned toward the door, signally Signe was free to leave. Bowing her head again, Signe took one last look at the mystical woman before stepping out of the hut and closing the door behind her.

All things considered, the meeting with Völva had gone surprisingly well. Signe had gone into it expecting to come back out empty-handed, but had been proven wrong. Sure, she had more than a few lingering questions about this wedding that would apparently be soon taking place, but all of the other answers she'd been searching for had finally been found. Signe now knew where the Gods wanted her to go, and – for the most part – was beginning to understand what the Gods wanted her to do. For the first time in her life, Signe felt like she had a _purpose_ – like she was finally going to begin living her life.

Now she just had to hope that her father would understand her sudden change of heart in regards to the raids. And, when the time came, she hoped that he too would trust in the Gods' plans for her and that he would not stand in her way.

* * *

The next morning, Signe woke not long after the sun rose. With her head still swimming with thoughts of the Völva and their conversation the day before, just as it had all night long, she decided to do as she had been instructed and started preparing for the journey to come – whenever that might be.

She grabbed a small sack so she could pack away a spare set of trousers, a dress, and a more few personal effects, then went to collect the supplies she'd bought in town the day before and her small healing pack and that she always kept in her trunk, just in case. Signe would never dare to call herself a healer, but after nearly ten years of taking care of five men every time they fell ill or injured themselves – six, if you counted Bjorn – she'd certainly learned a few useful things over the years. Her father had suggested on one or two occasions that she consider healing for the town as a means of making money, but she'd always been hesitant on the idea.

Signe placed the now packed bag on her bed and then went to her trunk, where a jerkin made of leather and chainmail lay on top. It was her mother's old battle armor, which her father had also gifted to her along with the axe and the shield. Signe grabbed the jerkin with reverential hands and held it up before herself, suddenly flooded with memories of the times she'd seen her mother wearing it. She remembered watching her ride off for battle, with her hair in its signature braids and dark kohl lining her bright blue eyes – all the while, wearing _this _jerkin.

Signe also remembered seeing her come _back _from battle, bruised and battered and, every now and again, still covered in blood – both hers _and_ her enemy's. She could see a small blood stain on the leather of the jerkin and ran her thumb over it pensively, finding it a little strange to think of herself being the one to fight and bleed in this jerkin whenever she finally found herself in a battle. Signe just hoped she could do it as proud as the previous owner had.

A sudden knock on the front door jerked her back to reality, making her instantly frown with uncertainty. She had been so caught up in memories of her long deceased mother that she had not even heard anyone approaching the house. But it was barely even sun up – who could possibly be visiting this early anyway?

Signe lay the jerkin down on her bed and went to her door, yanking it open. At the same time, the door to her father's room opened and Oleg stepped out, instantly motioning with his hand that he wanted her to stay put. Signe nodded and watched from her doorway as her father walked to the front door, a little apprehensive to find out who was on the other side of the door. She'd learned from experience that early morning visits, much like late night ones, usually meant something serious – if it was so important that it could not wait until they had at least eaten breakfast, then it _had_ to mean something had happened.

Oleg finally pulled the door open, revealing an edgy looking Bjorn. Surprise coursed through her at the sight of him, immediately followed by a strong sense of foreboding when she saw the look he directed her way. The seeress' voice suddenly filled her head, reminding her that things would soon change and that Bjorn would soon leave for Kattegat. Had the time come already? Had she meant _this _soon?

"Good morning, Bjorn," Oleg greeted politely, though he seemed a bit at a loss as to why he was there. "To what do we owe the pleasure of such an early visit?"

"Please forgive the hour, Oleg," Bjorn said, glancing briefly at Signe again over the man's shoulder. "But I come with important news that I must share with you and your family. May I come inside?" He asked courteously.

Oleg seemed to understand in an instant that this was not just an everyday visit. His demeanor turned serious in a heartbeat as he pressed his lips together and nodded. "Of course," he said, before turning to glance at Signe. "Signe, go wake your brothers," he instructed. Oleg then waved Bjorn inside. "Please, come in."

While Bjorn stepped inside and was ushered over to the kitchen table, Signe hurried to Gunnar and Garik's room and threw the door open. The twins were already awake but _barley _so – still half asleep, they jumped in surprise and swung sleepy eyes in her direction when she suddenly appeared in their doorway.

"Bjorn is here. Something has happened," she said shortly before turning to hurry back into the sitting room without bothering to wait for them, not wanting to miss anything important. Her abruptness was enough wake the twins fully and have them scrambling to follow her, even though they were still in their bedclothes.

"I have already woken Valborg," Bjorn was saying as Signe walked back into the main room, the twins hot on her heels. Bjorn and Oleg were seated at the table with cups of water and loaf of bread. "He went to collect Hallsteinn – they should be here shortly," he explained.

"What is this about?" Signe asked, sliding into the chair next to Bjorn while the twins claimed the two on the other side of the table, identical looks of confusion on their faces.

Bjorn frowned, his features set in serious expression. "Should we wait for your brothers?" He asked uncertainly.

"No. We can explain everything once they are here," Garik piped up impatiently. "Tell us what is going on."

Bjorn let his gaze sweep the table for a moment as though checking to make sure everyone else felt the same as Garik, then started speaking. "Yesterday afternoon I rode to the next town over, and it was there that I spoke with a man who gave me the most troubling news." He paused for a moment like he was thinking back to the conversation with the stranger, then continued. "The town had just received word from a messenger that while my father and King Horik have been raiding in England, Kattegat has been invaded and taken over by Jarl Borg of Götaland."

Signe straightened up in her chair while a murmur of surprise passed between her brothers. "Does Earl Ragnar know?" Garik asked, a frown turning the corners of his lips down.

"If he does not yet, he will soon enough," Bjorn answered with a nod. "From what I understand, a messenger was sent west to alert him some time ago."

"What of the townsfolk? And his family?" Signe interjected with concern. "How many were harmed?"

Bjorn looked to her and sighed heavily, looking troubled. "Many were killed in the invasion. Jarl Borg and his men slaughtered any who resisted them," he revealed, making her heart sink. "But my uncle Rollo and his woman were able to get my father's wife and children – as well as a few others – out of Kattegat safely. They have taken refuge in a farmhouse outside of town while they await someone to answer their call for help and come to their aid."

"Is that the plan then?" Oleg asked rather bluntly, drawing the attention to him. "Does Earl Sigvard intend to send reinforcements to help Earl Ragnar retake Kattegat?"

Bjorn shook his head. "The Earl does not, no…but my mother does," he told him. "She informed me this morning that she intends to collect fifty of the strongest fighters in town and travel north to Kattegat as soon as possible," he proceeded to reveal. "Ragnar's forces are weakened and he will need help. We shall give it to him."

Oleg nodded as he leaned back in his chair, understanding dawning on his face. "I see," he said slowly. "You have come to recruit, then," he concluded, suddenly knowing exactly what the meaning of this visit was.

Bjorn nodded his head unabashedly. "Yes," he confirmed, sending a zing down Signe's spine. Whether that was an excited zing at the prospect of fighting in a true battle or a _frightened_ one, though, she wasn't completely sure. "My mother wanted me to come to your family first and deliver her personal invitation for your sons and daughter to join her forces and help Ragnar Lothbrok reclaim his lands," he announced, his tone all business now.

At that exact moment, they all paused as they heard the sound of two approaching horses outside. Half a minute later, the door opened and Signe's two eldest brothers, looking wind-mussed and more than a little alarmed, quickly strode in.

"What is it?" Hallsteinn asked as he and Valborg came to stand next to the table, each glancing back and forth between their father and Bjorn for answers. "What has happened?"

"Jarl Borg has invaded Kattegat, Lady Lagertha is sending reinforcements to help Ragnar Lothbrok reclaim his lands, and she has personally invited all of us to be in her army," Gunnar swiftly summarized for him. Signe couldn't help but notice the excited gleam that had entered his gaze over the past few minutes – his twin was starting to sport a similar expression.

Hallsteinn stared at Gunnar for a moment, looking rather surprised. When he recovered, however, his expression turned resolute and his eyes filled with determination. "We will go," he agreed immediately, and not to anyone's surprise. Like Signe looked up to Lagertha, Hallsteinn idolized Ragnar Lothbrok. He wanted to be like the man, wanted to accomplish the same things and see all that Ragnar had – if there was a chance to help him and get in his good graces, there was no doubt that Hallsteinn would jump at the opportunity.

"Wait just a moment," Oleg spoke up at once, having to raise his voice to be heard over the excited murmuring that had broken out at the table. "We must talk this over first," he said sternly, looking around at each of his children.

"What is there to discuss?" Hallsteinn countered stubbornly, motioning toward Bjorn. "The Earl's wife has _personally _requested our assistance, father." he stated, as though Oleg needed reminding. "It would only be respectful of us to accept."

"They are not obligated to join, of course," Bjorn quickly clarified to Oleg, choosing his words carefully. "But my mother is seeking the strongest warriors we have available. She believes that your sons – _and_ Signe," he made sure to point out, looking at her for a moment, "are the exact warriors she is looking for."

Oleg sighed heavily as his gaze settled on Bjorn. "I am honored that the Lady Lagertha holds my children to such high regard," he said with forced politeness. "But," he continued, a little more firmly this time, "you must also understand that I do not want to needlessly send my children off to war if I do not have to. This fight is not ours. We have no family there, no connection to Kattegat, and we have no allegiance with Earl Ragnar," Oleg pointed out. "The Jarl is no threat to _us_."

"You are wrong," Signe interjected, making all eyes turn to her. She kept her own gaze locked on her father, however, her expression set in determination. "We _do _have a connection to Kattegat – " Signe then looked pointedly to the only man in the room not of her kin. " – Bjorn." Signe then looked back to her father. "He has been like _family_ to us, father. If he must go to battle to help his father reclaim his _home _– his _true _home – we should be there fighting alongside him," she stated determinedly. "You know that if the roles were reversed, Bjorn would do the same for us."

While a few of her brothers nodded their agreement, Bjorn sent her a tiny smile and a nod, obviously appreciating her loyal words. Oleg sighed heavily, drawing their attention again. He looked as though he was struggling to think of a way to counteract Signe's argument. "The raids are crucial to our survival," he reminded them. "The wages earned from those riches are a large portion of our yearly income. Without it, we will struggle until next summer," he reminded them.

"My mother will do her best to see that any warrior who offers their services is compensated for their efforts," Bjorn piped up quickly.

"Besides," Garik piped up, looking beside himself with excitement now, "if we help Ragnar Lothbrok drive Jarl Borg out of his lands, that may very well be enough to get us an invitation to raid west with him the next time he goes to England," he pointed out optimistically. "The riches we would find there would be worth _twice _as much as anything we would find east."

When Bjorn nodded as though to say that Garik was not far off in his assumptions, it became clear to Oleg that he was quickly losing this battle. He sighed heavily and raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, looking weary all of a sudden. "Your sister has never even raided before," he said, clearly speaking to his sons now. He lowered his hand again so he could peer around and Signe's brothers, clearly trying to guilt them. "Now you want to bring her into battle against the likes of _Jarl Borg_?"

Signe was rather offended that her father had used her lack of experience as part of his argument and started to tell him as such, but a new voice beat her to the punch. "It will hardly be any more challenging than what she would have faced fighting the Baltic clans," Valborg finally spoke up for the first time. He had been leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, quietly listening on as everyone else discussed the situation at hand.

Oleg did not seem pleased this his eldest, who usually took his side on everything, had spoken up against him. "It is different, Valborg," he growled. "You have raided and fought in enough battles throughout your lifetime to know that."

"I have also been training Signe since she was strong enough to hold a weapon," Valborg countered patiently. "Which means I know what she is – and what she is _not_ – ready for. She will be able to handle Jarl Borg's warriors just as well as she could have handled the easterners," Valborg stated decisively. "She is ready to fight in a war."

Oleg frowned deeply and opened his mouth like he was going to argue back. Sensing an argument on the horizon, Signe jumped in before anything else could be said.

"Father, it is the will of the Gods that I go," she stated firmly, making everyone fall silent and look to her again. "Yesterday, while I was in town, I went to speak to the Völva," she quickly explained. "She told me it was not my destiny to raid east. She said Bjorn would soon be riding to his father's aid and it was the Gods' plan that I go with him." Signe sighed and looked to her father with gentle, pleading eyes. "You were willing enough to let me raid," she reminded him pointedly. "Let me go to battle with Bjorn, as the Gods wish me to."

A heavy silence filled the room as Oleg wordlessly stared back at her, a certain look of resignation beginning to fill his one dark eye. "If Signe goes, we _all _go," Hallsteinn added firmly, motioning between himself, Garik, and Gunnar. "If my little sister is going to war, I will damn well be fighting by her side when it happens."

"Us too," Garik said, jerking a thumb toward his twin as he nodded his agreement.

Oleg looked at his sons, shifted his stare to Bjorn, then, finally, he turned his gaze on Signe. For a moment he merely stared at her – Signe met his gaze full on, not backing down an inch so he would know that she stood firm in her desire to go to Kattegat. After a few seconds, Oleg cleared his throat.

"This is what you all want?" He asked slowly. "You want to join Ragnar Lothbrok in his battle against Jarl Borg?"

Signe and her brothers all looked at each other for a moment, as though silently confirming this was indeed what they all wanted. "Yes," Hallsteinn said, answering for the lot of them as they nodded along in agreement.

Oleg hesitated before nodding his head. "It would seem I am overruled on this matter," Oleg said, voice filled with defeat as his gaze shifted back to Bjorn. "If my children wish to join your mother's army and fight Jarl Borg…" Oleg hesitated for a moment to sigh. "…then I will not stand in their way."

And with that, he stood from his chair and left the table, heading directly for his bedroom. Signe, Bjorn, and her brothers watched in silence as Oleg stepped into his room and closed the door behind him, then shared uncertain looks with each other. Signe felt a small stab of guilt in her stomach for having upset her father, but was able to push the feeling away and justify her actions by reminding herself that this was her _destiny _she was seeking – she _had _to do this. Her father would just have to understand and accept that.

"I am sure he vill come around," Garik said with a dismissive wave of his hand, looking too excited over the prospect of going to war with Ragnar Lothbrok to care about anything else.

"So," Hallsteinn spoke up, looking as eager as the twins now as he rubbed his hands together. "When do we leave?" He asked Bjorn.

Bjorn smirked at the man's obvious enthusiasm. "At first light tomorrow, so I advise that you take the remainder of today to make the necessary preparations," he suggested.

"That soon?" Gunnar asked in surprise.

Bjorn shrugged. "It is an urgent matter," he said simply. Bjorn's eyes then turned to Valborg, who had gone quiet again. "Valborg, there is room for you too if you wish to come," he offered, even though he seemed to know his efforts would be futile.

Valborg smiled, but shook his head. "Your duty may be in Kattegat, but mine is here in Hedeby," he said, pushing away from the wall so he could go to Bjorn's side and clap a hand on his shoulder. "I will stay here and pray to the Gods for your safety in battle – _all _of you," he added, looking pointedly at his siblings – unsurprisingly, his eyes lingered on Signe the longest.

Bjorn nodded his thanks to Valborg, then finally pushed away from the table and stood from his seat. "I must be going now," he stated. "There is much to do yet and more warriors to seek out." He then smirked at them and nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased with the way the meeting had gone. "My mother will be pleased to hear you are all joining us – I look forward to telling her." Bjorn's eyes slid to Signe and he raised his eyebrows. "Walk with me to my horse?"

"Of course," Signe said before standing from her chair and following him to the door.

She ignored the stares of her brothers that she felt on her back as they stepped out of the house. Bjorn called one last goodbye to her brothers over his shoulder, promising to see them early the next morning, before Signe closed the door so they could have some privacy.

Bjorn looked down at her as they started toward his horse, which had been hastily tied to a nearby post. "I am sorry if this causes problems for you and your father," he apologized. "He does not seem happy that you and your brothers will be coming to Kattegat."

Signe sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "He is worried, that is all," she said, though inwardly she too hoped this wouldn't cause any problems between them. It was rare that Signe and her father found themselves at odds with one another, but it _was _known to happen. If Oleg _was _angry, she just hoped he'd be able to forgive her before they left for Kattegat. "But like Garik said – he will come around," she added with forced optimism.

Bjorn nodded, though he didn't look completely convinced. "So…" He said after a beat or two of silence, changing the subject. "The seeress has told you things about me?"

After what she had revealed in regards to her visit with seeress, Signe had been expecting him to ask a question like this. "One or two…" She confirmed with a small smirk, purposefully being vague just to torment him in his obvious state of curiosity.

Bjorn's expression filled with eagerness. "_Good _things?" He pressed, eyes hopeful but also slightly wary.

Signe nodded. "So far, yes. According to the Völva, the Gods have great plans for you," she told him, raising her brows at him.

That seemed to be more than enough to appease Bjorn, because he asked no further questions. Instead, seemed encouraged by the revelation and stood a bit straighter, carrying himself with a newfound sense of confidence as a fire of determination began glowing in his eyes. Signe could practically see the wheels turning in his head – she imagined he was now thinking about these 'great plans' of the Gods and thinking of all the possibilities they might hold for him in his future.

As they reached his horse, Bjorn turned to Signe and smiled down at her. "It makes me glad to know you will be by my side when we face Jarl Borg," he told her in sincerity. "I am sorry if you are disappointed not to go on the raids, but I am also honored to have you as my comrade in battle."

Signe couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "I am not disappointed, actually," she admitted. And it was the truth – she was far more excited about fighting with Bjorn and the great Ragnar Lothbrok than she had been about raiding. "I am happy to be fighting with you as well, and I am eager to help you and your father reclaim your home." She then let out a small laugh. "We always said we wanted to fight together…it appears that the Gods were listening," Signe joked.

Bjorn grinned. "So it would seem," he agreed. He then turned to untether his horse's reigns from the post before shifting his attention back to Signe. "Those going to Kattegat will gather in the fields at dawn, then we leave shortly after," he informed her, his tone momentarily sounding a bit more business-like. "Do not be late or you will be left behind," he warned.

"We will be there," Signe promised him.

Bjorn then did something that caught her rather by surprise. He held her gaze for a moment before taking a step closer, placing a hand on the side of her neck, and then leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead.

The gesture may have seemed small and insignificant to anyone else, but to Signe, it was monumental. They had been friends for a long time, so it was not uncommon for Bjorn to show Signe affection here or there. Only when he had shown affection in the past, it was always in the form of hugs or pats on the back or, on rare occasions, a squeeze of her hand. But _this_? Bjorn had never kissed her before – not on her lips, not on her forehead, not even a courteous smooch to the top of her hand. It shocked her to her core that he was kissing her forehead now, even more so when he lingered for the tiniest moment before pulling away.

"I must go," he said, sending her another smile before turning to climb up onto his horse. "Like I said inside – take today to prepare." Signe nodded silently, too dumbfounded to produce words. "And get as much rest as you can," Bjorn added. "Once we are on the road to Kattegat, there will not be much opportunity for it."

"I will," she finally managed out, recovering enough to smile at him – she hoped her expression wasn't as love-struck as she feared it might be. _Get ahold of yourself_, Signe internally scolded herself. "I shall see you in the morning," she said in a stronger voice this time, taking a few steps back to give Bjorn and his horse some space.

Bjorn nodded his head to her in response, then he pulled his horse around, let out a whistle, and dug his heels into the animal's flanks. The horse whinnied and lurched forward, taking off down the dirt path that led away from Signe's house until, eventually, disappearing around the bend.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


End file.
